Easy Biscotti
This recipe is adapted from a good friend of mine, Roberta (or fondly as Beth), whom I have known for more than two decades. We met and became friends while waiting for the same bus to Finch terminal every morning and took the same route to the City for our work. Together with another lady, Gwyneth, we called ourselves the '3 Musketeers' and later we used to go for our long exercise walks every weekend and became the 'Walking Buddies'. Every Christmas, Beth will make boxes of these biscotti for me. When she moved away to her new place and subsequently became a grandma, she no longer has time to make them for me. Craving for her biscotti, I asked if she could share her recipe with me. Hesitantly, she says 'yes' because she made many trial runs before getting it so perfect. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do when you make them - thanks to my dear friend, Roberta!
Utensils required:-
Measuring cups
Sharp knife and wooden cutting board
3 mixing bowls (1 large and 2 smaller ones)
Hand held electric mixer or stand mixer
Silicone/plastic spatula
Whisk
2 large cookie baking sheets/trays
Wire rack to cool baked dough
Some parchment paper to line the cookie sheets/trays
Food safe plastic cling wrap
Ingredients:-
3 cups all-purpose flour (scoop and level)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 (187.50 g) cups melted unsalted butter
3 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 cup each of chopped dried cranberries, chocolate chips and pecans/almonds/walnuts
1 cup of almond meal (if you are making plain biscotti)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract/1 teaspoon pure almond extract/few drops of orange flavoring (I used the orange food flavoring from 'Young Living' which is really flavorful).
Method:-
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C.
2. Measure out all the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder. (If you are making just plain biscotti without the fruits and nuts, add in the almond meal and omit the chopped cranberries, nuts and chocolate chips later) and mix them thoroughly with a spatula or whisk.
3. Chop the dried cranberries and nuts coarsely and combine with chocolate chips. Place in a bowl and set aside for use.
4. Crack the eggs into another mixing bowl and turn on the electric mixer and beat on medium high speed until the eggs yolks and whites are blended and a little foamy. Add in the granulated sugar and melted butter. Beat on medium high for another 2 minutes. Add in pure vanilla extract/almond extract/orange flavoring (your choice). Mix well.
5. Add in all the flour mixture at once, turn on electric mixer and mix until the flour is just incorporated. Do not overmix.
6. Fold in the chopped cranberries, nuts and chocolate (omit if you are making plain biscotti).
7. The dough is very wet and sticky. Using the spatula, scrape and turn half of the dough out onto a piece of plastic cling wrap. Shape it into a rectangular log and wrap tightly; twist to secure on both ends. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough. (Try not to touch dough with bare fingers as they will stick - manipulate with the plastic cling wrap instead) or put on food safe plastic gloves.
8. Place both wrapped dough into the freezer for 30 minutes or longer. It may stay in the freezer for 1 week if you store them in a freezer bag.
9. Place dough on a cookie sheet, space them out and bake for 30 minutes in the pre-heated oven or until the top of the dough is golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven. Turn the oven heat down to 300 degrees F. Place the baked dough onto a wire rack to cool until warm to the touch.
11. Place cooked dough on a clean and dry cutting board. Using a sharp chef knife, slice the dough into slices of approximately 1-1/2 inches thick. Arrange them on a clean cookie sheet lined with parchment paper with some space in between each slice.
12. Return the cookie sheet with the biscotti into the oven and bake until nice golden brown on both sides. You may need to turn the biscotti once to get even browning when half way baking. ***Watch the biscotti. They will burn quite quickly if you walk away for a while.***
13. Once they are nicely brown on both sides, remove from oven and let them cool by placing them on a wire rack.
14. Store in a cookie jar or cookie tin with a tight lid when cooled. Enjoy with your favorite cuppa java! 'Gustare'!
