I always liked to drink coffee or tea with a cookie; but the biscotti is a way better option ! Like the name says, a biscotti is a twice-baked cake that you can dip in beverage. Because they are dry and could be stored for long periods of time, they were particularly useful during long journeys and wars, and twice baked breads were a staple food of the Roman legion; just a little history interesting fact. This recipe is from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.
(for about 30 biscotti)
1 and 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour / 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder / 1/4 tsp of salt / 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal / 8 tbsp of butter / 1 cup of sugar / 2 large eggs / 1 and 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract (the original recipe was calling for almond extract but I made a substitution) / 3/4 cup of sliced almond blanched or not
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cornmeal together in a bowl. Then separately, I used the stand mixer with the paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar together until very smooth, takes about 3 minutes at medium speed. Add the eggs to the butter mixture and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract, reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients until integrated. You should have a very sticky dough. Add the almonds and mix just to blend.
Good time to turn the oven to 350F with the rack centre.
Split the dough in two. On a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper, work the half the dough into a log about 12 inches long by 1.5 inches wide. Don’t try to shape the dome, just a very nice rough, uneven, bumpy rectangular. Work the second half on the other side of the baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the logs are lightly golden but still soft when to push on it. Transfers the sheet to a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes.
Re-heat the oven to 350 F if you turn it off.
With a lot of care, transfers the cakes to a cutting board. Cut the log the into 3/4 inch thick slices. Re-transfer the slices to the baking sheet, standing side by side.
Bake them for 15 minutes or golden and firm. Back on the cooling rack for the last time! Let them cool down to room temperature if you can wait that long ! They will stay good for a week. You can store them on the counter but they won’t last long…
eating in moose jaw 