Basic Italian Biscotti Recipes

ITALIAN BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 165 degrees C ).
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time; beat until fluffy. Stir in the anise and vanilla extracts. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; Add them to the egg mixture along with the chopped almonds. Stir with a spoon and as the dough comes together, Knead by hand.
• Divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll each piece into a log about 15 inches long. Place logs onto cookie sheets, 2 to a sheet, the long way. Flatten the logs out until they are about 3 inches wide with a slight hump going down the middle. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, loaves should be firm. Cut the loaves into diagonal slices 1/2 inch wide, place the slices onto the cookie sheets and return to the oven. Toast on one side, then turn them over to do the other side. This will take about 7 to 10 minutes.

BASIC BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs and add sugar to blend. Add salt. Sift flour and baking powder and add all at once to eggs. Stir just to blend. Add flavoring or garnish. Spoon mixture lengthwise onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or greased. Spoon into a "log", shape as wide as you choose, the width of the "log" will determine the length of the cut biscotti. Make as many "logs" as you have mix. Allow logs to sit for about 10 minutes at room temperature before baking. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes or until center of log springs back when touched. Remove from oven and let cool thoroughly. Cut logs into strips crosswise. Standard is about 1/2 inch. Place each biscotti cut side down onto cookie sheet lined with parchment or lightly greased. Bake again for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly browned on edges. Cool thoroughly, then store in airtight container;
• For Hazelnut: 2 cups roughly chopped, sliced, or whole hazelnuts .
• For Lemon/Poppy: grated rind of three lemons, 1 teaspoon poppy seeds .
• For Ginger: 1 1/2 cups chopped crystallized (candied) ginger.

BASIC ITALIAN BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Sift flour and measure. Resift with sugar and baking powder onto a flat surface. Cut shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• Make a well in flour and break eggs into it. Add vanilla, and knead dough well for about 5 minutes until it is smooth, adding a little more flour if dough seems to soft and sticky.
• Pinch off bits of dough about the size of an apricot, and form into desired shapes. Cookies may be baked as rings, strips, or in letters, such as S.
• Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet and bake in hot 450 degree F (230 degrees C) oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Watch carefully, because they burn easily.

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.

THE REAL ITALIAN BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In mixer beat eggs and anise flavoring together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar.
• Mix in the Crisco until it turns into small pieces.
• Add the egg mixture and combine (dough will be thick and sticky).
• Lightly grease cookie sheet.
• Roll dough into logs approximately the length of your cookie sheet, 1 1/2 inches thick and 1 inch high.
• Place logs on the greased cookie sheet about 4 inches apart.
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven and slice diagonally.
• Lay cut side down in tray and bake about 10 more minutes.
• I have put almonds or walnuts (coarsely chopped) in batter and they do taste good., but I have found that if I put the nuts in dry mixture and then add the egg mixture it is so much easier.

PLAIN BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Mix the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
• Mix the last 4 ingredients in a different bowl.
• Blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
• Divide the dough into 3 balls and knead 5 or 6 times.
• Add extra ingredients as desired, maintaining a slightly sticky consistency.
• Compensate for dryness by adding a little milk or unsweetened applesauce.
• Compensate for wetness by adding flour or more of a dry ingredient.
• Place each ball on a piece of wax paper covering a 11"x17" standard cookie sheet.
• With floured hands, shape each ball into a 9 inch mound as far from each other as possible and flatten slightly.
• Bake for 25 minutes on a rack one level up from center of oven.
• Remove from loaves from the wax paper and place on a cutting board.
• With a sharp serated knife, cut 3/8 to 1/2 inch wide slices across the loaf at a slight diagonal.
• Lay the pieces on one side on a 2 layer cookie sheet.
• Bake on a rack in the center of the oven for 10 minutes.
• Turn the slices over and bake until lightly browned-5 to 7 minutes.

EASY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Put the flour, sugars, baking powder and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl and stir together.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, vanilla and 3 tbsp hot water. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry until the mixture comes together into a dough. Gently knead the dough until smooth - it will be quite dry, so add another 1 tbsp water if it's too difficult to knead after a few minutes. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shaping each into a 25 x 8cm log. Put the logs on the prepared baking tray and bake for 25-30 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray for around 15 mins.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the slightly cooled logs into 1-2cm-thick slices crosswise. Return the biscotti to the lined baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins more (the oven should still be at 180C/160C fan/gas 4), turning the tray around halfway through. Leave to cool slightly on the tray, then transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. If you like, dip one end of each biscotti into some melted chocolate, then leave to set on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.