Black Pepper Biscotti Recipes

HELEN'S BLACK PEPPER WALNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. Stir in the pepper and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until pale and light. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the orange zest and vanilla and almond extracts.
• Fold in the flour mixture, then fold in the walnuts. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick silicone liners.
• Divide the dough in half, place 1 piece on each sheet and shape each piece into a 12-inch log, about 2 inches across and 1 inch tall. Bake until the logs are baked through and lightly browned, about 35 minutes.
• Let the logs cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheets (leave the oven on), then transfer them carefully to racks to cool 10 minutes more. Using a serrated knife, slice each log on the diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices cut-side down on the baking sheets and return to the oven until well toasted, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer the biscotti to cooling racks to cool completely. They will keep, tightly covered, up to 1 week.

WALNUT, ORANGE AND BLACK PEPPER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To begin, toast and chop the walnuts, have ready the zests, grind the pepper and bring butter and eggs to room temperature.
• Line two trays with parchment paper or nonstick liners like Exopat. Have ready a large floured surface, a dough scraper and extra parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl sift the flours, baking powder, soda, salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well, and add the zest and vanilla.
• Stir in the dry mixture into the butter mixture, then add the nuts. Do not over mix but also don't leave streaks of flour either. You will have quite a goopy mess.
• Tip the dough out onto your work surface. Divide the dough into pieces. Two pieces for large trad. size biscotti, four pieces for smaller, thinner ones.
• With floured hands and/or your dough scraper, form into logs about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide, quickly place onto trays about 3" apart, brush off excess flour, and put into the middle of preheated oven. (I say quickly because if you bumble about.
• picking the logs up they will fall back onto the board. If this happens, don't worry, just form into logs and try again.).
• If you don't want to cook all of the logs, wrap them up in parchment, then saran wrap and freeze.
• Cook for about 20 mins (small) or 25 mins (large logs) until they are just turning golden.
• Remove from oven, let cool on baking rack for 10 minutes or so -- longer doesn't hurt.
• Now put the biscotti logs on a big cutting board, cut them on the diagonal about 3/4" wide, replace on same trays cut side down and place in oven (still 350° F.) for 7-8 minutes or until as hard as you want. I like them like granite so it takes them longer.
• Let cool on racks and then store in airtight containers.

BLACK PEPPER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in Grand Marnier, lemon peel and vanilla. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in dry ingredients. Cover and chill just until slightly firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle powdered sugar on work surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half on sugar to 11-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake until firm to touch, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Transfer logs to work surface. Discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake until dry, about 20 minutes. Cool on racks. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight.)

PARMESAN BLACK-PEPPER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pulse peppercorns in grinder until coarsely ground.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, 2 cups cheese, and 1 tablespoon ground black pepper in a large bowl. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 3 eggs with milk and add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork until a soft dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and quarter dough. Using well-floured hands, form each piece into a slightly flattened 12-inch-long log (about 2 inches wide and 3/4 inch high). Transfer logs to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging logs about 3 inches apart.
• Whisk remaining egg and brush some over logs, then sprinkle tops of logs evenly with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper. Bake, rotating sheets 180 degrees and switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until logs are pale golden and firm, about 30 minutes total. Cool logs to warm on sheets on a rack, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• Carefully transfer 1 warm log to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife. Arrange slices, cut sides down, in 1 layer on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining logs, transferring slices to sheets. Bake, turning over once, until golden and crisp, 35 to 45 minutes total. Cool biscotti on baking sheets on racks, about 15 minutes.

PARMESAN BLACK PEPPER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• In bowl, whisk together flour, all but 1 tbsp of the cheese, baking powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne.
• Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles course meal.
• In separate bowl, whisk eggs with all but 2 tsp of the cream; stir into flour mixture to form smooth dough.
• Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll each half into 10 inch log.
• Place logs, 2 inches apart, on parchment lined baking sheet; press to flatten slightly.
• Brush with remaining cream; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake in 350F oven until ligh golden and just firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let cool on pans on racks for 10 minutes.
• Transfer logs to cutting board. Using chef's knife, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Stand slices up, 1/2 inch apart, on baking sheets.
• Bake in 350F oven until almost dry, about 35 minutes. Transfer to racks. Let cool.