Gabriellas Biscotti Recipes

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.

HOLIDAY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.
• Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
• Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.
• The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

LEMON BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar for 3-4 minutes, until thick and pale. Gradually beat in the oil and the lemon zest.
• Add the flour mixture, alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Scrape out the dough with a rubber spatula onto a clean counter. Spray hands with cooking spray (or rub on some olive oil)and divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each portion into a flattened logs that are about 3.5 inches wide.
• Place the first logs one of the prepared baking sheets (if you're using 1 baking sheet, space the logs out about 2-inches apart, they will expand a little while baking). Score the biscotti logs with a very sharp knife about 1/2-inch apart (this will help to slice them when they're totally cooled down to prep for the second part of baking).
• Bake until they are golden and firm, about 25 minutes, turning the tray halfway halfway through baking time. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let logs cool completely (could take a full 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 325F degrees.
• Transfer the first loaf carefully to a cutting board. When the logs have completely cooled down, begin slicing the first biscotti log approximately 1/2 inch apart by pressing a very sharp knife straight down into the dough (if you scored the dough, you'll be slicing where you marked with the knife before baking).
• 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. It should yield approximately 35-37 biscotti.
• Bake 7 minutes, flip biscotti, and bake 7 minutes more (it may only take 5 minutes on each side, every oven is different). Let cool completely (they will also dry out a bit more) on wire rack. Enjoy!
• For the Glaze
• In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice with the powdered sugar. It should become a thick and pourable glaze (if it's too thick, add bit more lemon juice one teaspoon at a time. If it's too confectioner's sugar a tablespoon at a time).
• Drizzle on the glaze and let it completely cool down. You could place the glaze in a zipped lock bag. Close the bag and cut a tiny triangle off a bottom corner of the bag. Gently squeeze the bag to add the glaze to the biscotti.

BISCOTTI ALLA PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• In a bowl of a food processor add flour, butter, Parmesan cheese, rosemary and salt. Pulse until crumbly, but sticks together when pressed with fingers. Pour onto a floured pastry board and gather into a ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow dough to rest in refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm slightly, about 10 minutes. Place rested dough on a lightly floured pastry board and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles and place them on the baking sheet, 1-inch apart. Gather dough scraps into a ball. Roll out leftover dough and cut additional circles. Continue until all the dough is used. If the dough becomes too soft and the butter starts to melt, place it back into the refrigerator to firm up again.
• Place in oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

BISCOCHITOS TRADITIONAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the lard and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Mix in the anise seed, and beat until fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the sifted ingredients and brandy, and stir until well blended.
• On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2 or 1/4 inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. The traditional is fleur-de-lis. Place cookies onto baking sheets. Mix together the 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the tops of the cookies.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms are lightly browned.

GABRIELLA'S BISCOTTI

Steps:

• mix together in bowl.
• oven temperature 325.
• place on cookie sheet in square shape 12 an inch thick.
• bake 25 minute
• let cool then into 12 to 1 inch wide stripes.
• and enjoy yourself.