When we think of Italian food, we are more akin to think of pasta, pizza, antipasto and perhaps the famed Tiramisu.
However, after attending a top notch food and wine tasting recently, I discovered that sweet treats in the form of biscotti heralded my appreciation for the twice baked Italian bickie!
There are many variations of this nut filled biscuit, the traditional being with almonds. As with most almond filled Italian treats, amaretto is also used and I must admit, I'm not a big fan. It's the same as marzipan. Yick!!! I prefer to keep things a la natural and stick to a biscuit filled with almonds rather than any essence flavouring.
Other variations include pine nuts and even a scrummy one I tried in Brisbane with fennel seeds. Sounds interesting and it was - moorish in fact!A bit of history for you! The first documented recipe for the cake was found in a centuries-old manuscript, now preserved in the State of Prato. Depending on what region of Italy they come from, biscotti can be called cantuccini, usually suggesting origins from the Tuscany region.
It doesn't matter where the following variation comes from, it takes bloody fabulous every time I've made it. In fact, it has been given the name 'triumphant' courtesy of an old boss who scored some for Christmas last year. This is for you, Ted!
Hazelnut and Chocolate Biscotti
1 and 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder or granules
80g toasted whole hazelnuts
120g good quality dark chocolate, broken into little chunks
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup castor sugar
2 small eggs, lightly beaten
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Put the flour, soda, powder and salt into a bowl.
Sift the coffee into the same bowl and whisk all of these ingredients together for 1 minute.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together for 6 minutes in total, scrapping down the side of the bowl during this process.
Drizzle in the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating after each addition. Do the same with the vanilla.
Reduce the speed and add the flour mixture, a bit at a time, until a soft dough forms.
Scrape dough onto a board and divide it in half.
Roll each half into a log shape about 26cm long. If the dough is a little sticky, chill for a short while to firm it up.
Transfer onto a prepared tray (preferably with baking paper) but make sure there is around 6-7cm between each log as during the cooking process, they will flatten and spread.
Bake for 35 minutes or until they begin to go golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Turn the oven down to 160 degrees C and line two more trays with baking paper.
The logs should still be a little warm when you begin to cut them into 7mm thick slices with a sharp knife. You may need to hold the logs quite firmly with your hands as you perform this process.
Lay the slices on the prepared baking trays and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
Once this process is complete, leave the biscotti on the trays to cool completely and they will be crisp to touch once this has occurred.
The only hassle with this recipe is that you won't be able to stop eating them. Just think that the dark chocolate is good for you - that's how I justify it! Enjoy, literally!
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