Apricot Sesame Biscotti Recipes

APRICOT-PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed, using paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and beat on medium until coarse crumbs form. With mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition; mix in apricots, pistachios, and fennel seeds. Continue to mix until dough forms a ball, about 1 minute.
• On a parchment-lined baking sheet, shape dough into two 2-by-12-inch logs. Bake until dry and set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices. Bake on parchment-lined sheets until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on sheets on racks. (Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.)

APRICOT AND ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove enough zest from one large orange to make 1 tsp. set aside.
• Squeeze the orange to obtain 2 teaspoons of orange juice.
• Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, eggs, salt, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla for 2 to 3 minutes, until thick and pale.
• Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl a little bit at a time. Add in the chopped apricots and almonds and mix on medium-low speed until all the ingredients are moistened.
• Let the dough rest a couple of minutes in the mixer bowl.
• Scrape out the dough with a rubber spatula onto a lined cookie sheet (I used a sheet for each log) and divide the dough in half.
• Spray hands with cooking spray. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, then shape each into a flattened log, about 3 inches wide and 12 inches long. If you are using one baking tray, place logs a few inches apart on the baking sheet so they won't stick together as they bake. If you have two sheets, place one log on each lined baking sheet.
• Bake until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed, about 20-25 minutes.
• Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let logs cool completely (could take a full 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Transfer the first loaf carefully to a cutting board. When the logs have completely cooled down, begin slicing the first log by pressing a very sharp knife straight down into the dough. Place the cookies back on the baking sheet, cut sides up. Keep in mind that the when you slice on a bigger angle, you will get much longer cookies. If you slice short angles, you'll get small biscotti. Place the second log on the cutting board and repeat process cutting out the cookie pieces and placing on the baking sheet.
• Bake 7 minutes, flip biscotti, and bake 7 minutes more.
• Set the sheet on a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. After 3 days, safest to store in the refrigerator.

BISCOTTI REGINA (SESAME SEED COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
• Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a mixer and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time with the mixer running and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat. Next, add the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated.
• To form the cookies, divide the dough in half and roll into logs 1-inch in diameter. Cut the logs into 3-inch lengths. Dip each piece of dough into the cream and then roll in the sesame seeds. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and place in the oven until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let cool and serve. These will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

CLASSIC BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, anise seeds, salt, and nuts. Transfer to mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add eggs; beat until a stiff dough comes together, about 3 minutes.
• Divide dough in half. Form each half into a 12-inch log. (Dough may be sticky; dampen your hands for easier handling.) Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten so each log is 13 inches long, 2 1/4 inches wide, and 3/4 inch thick.
• Brush logs with beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until firm and very pale golden, about 35 minutes. Let cool on pans on a wire rack, 40 minutes. Meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Using a serrated knife with a sawing motion, cut logs into slices slightly thicker than 1/4 inch. Arrange, cut-side up, on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until dry to touch, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely on pans on racks, 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to 1 month.

APRICOT SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. , Roll into 1-in. balls; roll in sesame seeds. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an 3/8-in. deep indentation in the center of each ball. Fill with jam. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

ALMOND APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add whole egg, milk, and extracts, stirring with a fork until a soft dough forms, then knead in almonds.
• Divide dough between 2 sheets of wax paper, then form into 2 equal mounds and flatten each mound into a 5-inch disk. Put half of apricots in center of 1 disk and fold dough over apricots to enclose them (use wax paper as an aid if necessary), then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Form into a 14- by 2 1/2-inch log lengthwise on 1 side of baking sheet, spreading dough with wet hands. Make another log with remaining dough and apricots, arranging it about 4 inches from first log.
• Brush logs with egg wash and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and firm, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 20 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F while logs cool.
• Carefully transfer baked logs to a cutting board using 2 wide metal spatulas, then cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch-wide slices with a large heavy knife.
• Line baking sheet with a clean sheet of parchment. Stand slices, curved sides up, 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet and bake in upper third of oven until biscotti are dry, about 30 minutes (they will become hard as they cool). Transfer biscotti to rack to cool.

APRICOT SESAME BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Mix eggs and egg whites; stir into flour mixture until smooth. Mix in dried apricots.
• Shape dough on greased cookie sheets into 4 slightly flattened rolls, 1 ½ inches in diameter.
• Bake at 350 until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let stand on wire rack until cool enough to handle.
• Cut bars into ½ inch slices.
• Arrange slices, cut sides down, on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake biscotti until toasted on the bottom, 7-10 minutes; turn and bake until biscotti are golden on the other side and feel almost dry, 7-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Chop the apricots.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
• In a large bowl, beat 3 eggs, orange zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer until just combined. Stir in the flour mixture and beat until a stiff dough is formed.
• Fold in apricots.
• In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with the water. Form the dough into 2 logs, about 12 inches long each. Place on a greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Brush with egg wash.
• Bake at 350 degress for 40-50 minutes, until golden. Allow the logs to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
• With a serrated knife, cut the baked logs diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the slices (cut side down) on the baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 or 15 minutes more, until golden Cool on a wire rack. After cool, keep fresh in an airtight container.