For those of you who asked about the biscotti recipes, they are both from King Arthur's Cookie Companion, an amazing cookie book. Yum!
(I use what King Arthur calls the American-Style biscotti recipe. Italian biscotti recipes normally do not call for butter, but Americans seem to like the lighter texture that butter brings to the cookies. Either way, they're just delicious.)
BROWN SUGAR-CINNAMON BISCOTTI
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup cinnamon chips (made by Hershey)
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional, and I don't use them)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a large baking sheet.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. Lower the mixer speed, add the flour, cinnamon, chips and nuts (if using). Mix until smooth. The dough will be quite soft and sticky, but should hold its shape when you drop it from a spoon.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, shaping it into a rough log about 14 inches long, 2½-inches wide and ¾-inch thick.
4. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes; just work it into the schedule of whatever else you’re doing in the kitchen. Five minutes before cutting, use a spray bottle filled with room temperature water to lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Wait another 5 minutes, then cut the biscotti into ¾-inch slices. Be sure to cut straight up and down. If you cut at an angle, the biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they’ll topple over during their second bake.
6. Set the biscotti upright on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.
Yield: 14 to 16 biscotti (but feel free to double the recipe!)
Recipe Source: The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion
Store the biscotti in an airtight container to preserve their texture. If they aren’t as crunchy as you’d like (and the weather is dry), store them uncovered, overnight, to continue drying. Biscotti can be stored at room temperature for 1 week; for longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze.
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CRANBERRY-ORANGE BISCOTTI
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest, not packed
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup toasted walnuts (optional, and I don't use them)
Instructions: Yield: 16 to 18 Biscotti
Baking temperature: 350°F, then 325°F
Baking time: 50 to 55 minutes
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a large baking sheet.
2. In a medium- sized bowl, beat butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. Add the orange juice, orange zest, and dried cranberries. (Add the walnuts, if using) Stir in the flour and mix until smooth. The dough will be quite soft and sticky, but should hold its shape when you drop it from a spoon.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, shaping it into a rough log about 14 inches long, 2½-inches wide and ¾-inch thick.
4. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes; just work it into the schedule of whatever else you’re doing in the kitchen. Five minutes before cutting, use a spray bottle filled with room temperature water to lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Wait another 5 minutes, then cut the biscotti into ¾-inch slices. Be sure to cut straight up and down. If you cut at an angle, the biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they’ll topple over during their second bake.
6. Set the biscotti upright on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.
Yield: 14 to 16 biscotti (but, again, feel free to double the recipe!)
Recipe Source: The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion
Store the biscotti in an airtight container to preserve their texture. If they aren’t as crunchy as you’d like (and the weather is dry), store them uncovered, overnight, to continue drying. Biscotti can be stored at room temperature for 1 week; for longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze.
My note: It will be take about half a large orange to get enough zest for this recipe.
(I use what King Arthur calls the American-Style biscotti recipe. Italian biscotti recipes normally do not call for butter, but Americans seem to like the lighter texture that butter brings to the cookies. Either way, they're just delicious.)
BROWN SUGAR-CINNAMON BISCOTTI
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup cinnamon chips (made by Hershey)
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional, and I don't use them)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a large baking sheet.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. Lower the mixer speed, add the flour, cinnamon, chips and nuts (if using). Mix until smooth. The dough will be quite soft and sticky, but should hold its shape when you drop it from a spoon.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, shaping it into a rough log about 14 inches long, 2½-inches wide and ¾-inch thick.
4. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes; just work it into the schedule of whatever else you’re doing in the kitchen. Five minutes before cutting, use a spray bottle filled with room temperature water to lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Wait another 5 minutes, then cut the biscotti into ¾-inch slices. Be sure to cut straight up and down. If you cut at an angle, the biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they’ll topple over during their second bake.
6. Set the biscotti upright on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.
Yield: 14 to 16 biscotti (but feel free to double the recipe!)
Recipe Source: The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion
Store the biscotti in an airtight container to preserve their texture. If they aren’t as crunchy as you’d like (and the weather is dry), store them uncovered, overnight, to continue drying. Biscotti can be stored at room temperature for 1 week; for longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze.
______________________________________________________________
CRANBERRY-ORANGE BISCOTTI
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest, not packed
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup toasted walnuts (optional, and I don't use them)
Instructions: Yield: 16 to 18 Biscotti
Baking temperature: 350°F, then 325°F
Baking time: 50 to 55 minutes
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a large baking sheet.
2. In a medium- sized bowl, beat butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. Add the orange juice, orange zest, and dried cranberries. (Add the walnuts, if using) Stir in the flour and mix until smooth. The dough will be quite soft and sticky, but should hold its shape when you drop it from a spoon.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, shaping it into a rough log about 14 inches long, 2½-inches wide and ¾-inch thick.
4. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes; just work it into the schedule of whatever else you’re doing in the kitchen. Five minutes before cutting, use a spray bottle filled with room temperature water to lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Wait another 5 minutes, then cut the biscotti into ¾-inch slices. Be sure to cut straight up and down. If you cut at an angle, the biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they’ll topple over during their second bake.
6. Set the biscotti upright on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.
Yield: 14 to 16 biscotti (but, again, feel free to double the recipe!)
Recipe Source: The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion
Store the biscotti in an airtight container to preserve their texture. If they aren’t as crunchy as you’d like (and the weather is dry), store them uncovered, overnight, to continue drying. Biscotti can be stored at room temperature for 1 week; for longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze.
My note: It will be take about half a large orange to get enough zest for this recipe.
