07 Dec 08 Biscotti di Marianna Bongiovanni

Foreword:

I need to type up this recipe anyway, might as well do it for the whole world. These are my grandmother’s Biscotti cookies. The word Biscotto itself means “twice-cooked”, related to the English word “biscuit”. Which is why you’ll be cooking these twice. The word Biscotti is actually the plural of Biscotto, which means you give someone a “Biscotto” (bis-CO-toe), and you make “Biscotti” (bis-CO-tea).

The recipe was based on the one from Food Network Personality Giada de Laurentiis show “Everyday Italian”. Or she is affectionately referred to in our family “la Sicca”, Sicilian for “the skinny lady”. 

Biscotti di Marianna Bongiovanni:

• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Options for fun stuff to put inside Include:
• 1/2 cup toasted and ground almonds, or 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon ground anise, or anise extract
• 1 cup cranberry-raisons.
• 1 tsp. clove

You can mix and match what to put in them based on your sensibilities

Instructions:

Take your butter out of the fridge and set it out, cold butter get’s stuck in whisks.

Before starting line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Put it aside, it’s a lot easier to do when your hands aren’t covered in batter.

Setup your electric mixer with the whisk attachment. When you’re ready throw in your butter, and let the blender work the sugar in. If your butter sticks to the whisk it may be too cold. Once the sugar and butter are blended, beat in one egg at a time as the blender runs. Next add your baking powder, your flour, and your salt allowing the blender to work them in evenly. At this point you can add your flavourings of choice. I’ve given some options above, but with prudence you can flavour them however you please. The 1 cup for nuts, fruit and chocolate, and 1tsp for extracts/seasonings is a fairly good basis for your ratios. Sometimes with stickier things like raisens and chocolate, dusting them with flower can help prevent them from clumping up in the bowl. Once your weapons fo choice are thoroughly mixed move on.

Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Before you forget.

Put a layer of flour down on your rolling area, extract the clump of batter from the bowl and roll out with your hands until it’s approximately 16″ long, and 3″ wide. Don’t worry they get a lot wider in the oven. If your batter sticks to the table don’t be afraid to use a lot more flour, otherwise you may get stuck with a big stick ball of batter.

Transfer this log of batter you’ve prepared onto the parchmented baking sheet. Slide it into the oven and let bake for 30 minutes, or until they start to get lightly golden. When you take them out, you’re going to be super tempted to cut them right that instant. As much as you want to release the heat and delicious from within them, be patient, you’re going to have to wait 30 MINUTES. Leave the oven on, you’ll need it when you get back.

Place the now cool log of Biscotti on a cutting board. Using a SERRATED knife, cut the log into even slices of between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. As you cut them move them to back on to the parchmented baking sheet, arrange them so that they lay on their sides. Once you’re all done cutting, throw them back in the oven for 15 minutes, or until they’re “pale golden” and delicious looking. Take them out and let them cool. And voilà, eat. 

Storage:

Biscotti freeze fantastically, and keep even in the fridge for a good while. Their low water content means that you can make them fairly infrequently and freeze your stash. They go awesome with caffè americanno, and just as well alone. Don’t be afraid to experiment with them, a good trick is just good biscotti, and see what innovations other people have come up with. My favourite though, is still almond extract, chocolate and pistacchios. It’s fantastic, I know.

Tags: almond extract, anise, biscotti, biscotti almond, biscotti anise, biscotti recetta, biscotti recipe, biscotto, fastuchi