County Fair Cherry Biscotti Recipes

CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
• Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed, scraping bowl often, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thick and pale yellow in color.
• Add oil, orange juice, orange peel and vanilla; beat 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed.
• Combine flour, walnuts, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture.
• Mix on low speed 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed.
• Stir in cherries by hand.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface (dough will be soft and sticky).
• Lightly sprinkle with additional flour; knead flour into dough.
• With floured hands, shape into 2 (8x2-inch) logs.
• Place 3 to 4 inches apart on a greased baking sheet; flatten tops slightly.
• Combine egg white and water; brush on logs.
• Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until light brown and firm to the touch.
• Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• Cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch slices with a serrated knife; arrange slices, cut-side down, on baking sheet.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes; turn slices.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove to wire rack; let cool completely.

DRIED CHERRY AND ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla.
• Gently mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, fold in the almonds and dried cherries.
• Divide the dough in half and roll the dough into 2 logs. If the dough is sticky, dust with a little flour. Roll the logs to the length of a sheet pan. Beat the egg white with a splash of water. Brush the logs with the egg white and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Transfer to a sheet pan and place at least 3 inches apart. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven let cool for 10 minutes. Remove logs to a cutting board and slice on the bias about 3/4 inch thick. Lay the biscotti back on the sheet pan and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. This will harden the biscotti. Cool completely on a rack.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. Dip each biscotti or pretzel in the chocolate to cover half of each and then dip in the sprinkles or candy cane pieces. Set each piece on the lined cookie sheet to allow the chocolate to harden. Store in a cool place in air-tight containers. Try not to eat them all at the same time.
• Bring a saucepan with 1-inch of water in it to a boil. Put the chocolate in a large metal or heatproof glass mixing bowl and place on top of the saucepan with boiling water. Pay careful attention that the mixing bowl does not touch the surface of the boiling water. Stir the chocolate until it is almost completely melted. Remove it from the saucepan and continue stir until the chocolate is completely melted. This entire process should take no more than 5 to 10 minutes.

DOOR COUNTY CHERRY BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter an 8 x 8" square baking pan.
• BOTTOM LAYER: Combine 1 cup of flour, the butter, and the confectioners' sugar in a bowl.
• Beat until smooth.
• Pat mixture into the prepared pan with fingers, and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
• TOP LAYER (THIS SHOULD BE MADE WHILE THE BOTTOM LAYER IS IN THE OVEN): In a small bowl, toss frozen cherries with vanilla; set aside.
• In a large bowl, slightly beat the eggs.
• Gradually add the sugar and beat until they are thick and light.
• Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and stir with a spoon until blended.
• Stir in the walnuts and cherry-vanilla mixture.
• Immediately spread the cherry mixture over the hot bottom layer and return the pan to the oven.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the bars are a deep golden brown.
• Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack before serving.

CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease large baking sheet.
• Remove stems from drained cherries.
• Make a small slit in whole cherries and pat dry with a paper towel.
• This is to stop the red juice from the cherries running into the buttery color of the biscotti.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl.
• Cut in butter with pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.
• Stir in eggs and extract until well blended If mixture is crumbly dry, add milk.
• Stir in cherries.
• Divide mixture in half.
• On lightly floured surface, press dough together and shape into two 10-inch-logs.
• Place logs on prepared baking sheet.
• Flatten to 2-1/2-inch width.
• Bake in 325-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Using a couple of spatulas, transfer logs to rack to cool for 20 minutes.
• With serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 3/4-inch-thick slices.
• Return to baking sheet.
• Bake 10 minutes or until cookies are crisp and firm to touch. (They should be golden.So watch closely, if biscotti starts to brown reduce heat or remove early -- use your own judgement)
• Transfer to rack to cool.
• Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

DOOR COUNTY CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Separate one egg; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in remaining eggs and reserved egg yolk. Beat in extract.
• Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
• Turn onto floured surface. Knead in cherries and almonds. Divide dough in half; spape each portion into a 12x3" rectangle. Transfer to a greased baking sheet.
• Beat reserved egg white; brush over dough. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.
• Bake at 350F for 28-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a cutting board; with a serrated knife, cut each rectangle diagonally into 18 slices. Place cut side down on greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over both sides of biscotti. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.
• Melt white chocolate and remaining 2 teaspoons shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over both sides of biscotti. Place on waxed paper; set stand until set. Store in an airtight container.