December 10, 2015 – Biscotti

In This Issue:

RECIPE: Cherry-Almond Holiday Biscotti
Tips for Making Biscotti
Biscotti Variations
<For Baking Biscotti>

INTRO   

“Holiday Biscotti to Make & Enjoy!”

INTRO TEXT   

The classic coffeehouse cookie gets dressed up for the holidays! We’ve taken our classic biscotti recipe and added deep red cherries and plenty of almond flavoring. Our Cherry-Almond Holiday Biscotti sport a “snowy” top of white chocolate with plenty of sprinkles. Quick to make, they’re a festive treat to share and enjoy.

Holiday Hours

Gift Cards

MAIN BODY:

One Biscotto, Two Biscotti

Biscotti are a delicious treat all year-round, but especially delightful at holiday time when they double as a charming gift to make and give. They are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee. Whether you dunk your biscotti or not, it’s a time to pause, and enjoy the moment. And, who doesn’t need a little more pausing, and savoring of moments this time of year?

Biscotti are a “twice-baked” cookies. Freshly baked loaves are cut, then the slices are baked a second time. The result is a dry, crunchy biscotto that, in it’s day centuries ago, served as a non-perishable food form requiring little storage complexity for long forays into the wilds. Today, it’s a coffee shop favorite and a worthy companion for virtual voyages into contemplative unknowns.

How to Make Biscotti
Approach biscotti-making in three steps:

1. Mix the dough & bake.
Beat the sugar and butter.
Add the eggs and extracts
Liquids mixed.
Basic batter mixed.
Mix-ins added
Mixed batter.
Divide dough in half.
Two formed loaves.
Two baked loaves

(2) Slice & bake.
Dust away excess flour
Slice loaves on a diagonal.
Toast in the oven; turn once.

(3) Decorate.
Paint chocolate on top.
Add sprinkles while wet.
Separate slices.

Tips:
(1) To manage sticky fruits, like the dried cherries in this recipe, cut them in smaller pieces with a kitchen shears, and dust lightly with a little flour. This will help evenly distribute the fruit in the final mixing step preventing any clumping together.

(2) Biscotti dough is very sticky. To facilitate the forming of loaves for baking, use a light dusting of flour on the working surface, and on your hands as you coax the dough into shape.

(3) Slice the baked loaves on a slight diagonal to achieve the classic biscotti “look.” Use a dry pastry brush to dust away any excess surface flour prior to baking a second time.

(4) Melt the chocolate of your choice in a glass, heat-tolerant bowl placed in a saucepan with hot, simmering water. Ensure that no water or steam condenses gets inside the bowl; this will cause the chocolate to seize and become unusable.

(5) Embellish your biscotti by painting the tops with white or dark chocolate, dipping in a chocolate of your choice, or drizzling with icing.

(6) Add a variety of holiday sprinkles quickly after “painting” on the chocolate so that they stick well; the chocolate (or icing) hardens quickly!

(7) Before packaging, ensure that the biscotti have been toasted dry, and that all glazing and drizzles have hardened.

Variations:

Biscotti are highly adaptable to different flavor combinations! Try one of these variations:

Cranberry & Pistachios – Another festive red & green combination. Substitute cranberries for the cherries and pistachios for the almonds. Use all vanilla extract (no almond extract). 
Apricot & Almond – A classic pairing. Substitute coarsely chopped apricots for the cherries, and dark chocolate instead of white chocolate.

Chocolate & Espresso – Mocha magic! Omit the cherries, use all vanilla extract (no almond extract), and add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon espresso powder, and dark chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips.

Milk Chocolate & Hazelnuts – A Nutella-like flavor combination. Omit the cherries, substitute hazelnuts for the almonds, exchange milk chocolate chips for the white chocolate chips.

For Baking Biscotti:
SILICONE BAKING MAT
Heat-tolerant silicone makes any pan a nonstick surface.

CUISINART HAND MIXER
Use a hand mixer for quick tasks like mixing biscotti dough and many other jobs.

WUSTHOF 10” SUPER SLICER
The serrated blade on this knife cuts bread with ease. Great blade length handles most slicing tasks.

Graphic Footer:

Make gladly, give willingly, receive graciously, celebrate joyfully, live fully!