Biscotti
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
NOTE: Measure the flour using the spoon and level method
While I made changes to the leavening, flavoring, and add-in, this is essentially King Arthur’s base recipe. The amount of flour per cup is based on 1 cup = 120 grams = spoon and level method.
Tools
- Mixer
- Large baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Microblade zester
- Cookie scoop, optional
- Pastry brush
- Serrated knife
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, 65°F
Zest medium organic orange
2/3 cup (135g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 tsp (2g) baking powder
3/4 tsp (3)baking soda
2 large eggs, cold
2 cups (250g) King Arthur all purpose flour, measured spoon and leveled method.
3/4 cup (85g) half raw pecans
3/4 cup (85g) Trader Joe’s dried montmorency sour cherry*
1 egg white for egg wash
Wilton Sparkling sugar for sprinkling on top, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18" x 13") baking sheet
Measure out all your ingredients before you begin.
Lightly toasted pecans in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove two a cutting board to cool.
Roughly chop and set aside.
Roughly chop sour cherries. Set aside.
Wash, dry and zest orange
Rub orange zest in to the sugar to release the oils. Let sit a few minutes to allow oil to infuse the sugar.
If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. Beat the butter, sugar, salt, flavor, vanilla, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minutes.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Beat in the eggs into the butter mixture. The mixture will look
curdled (lumpy). You want the eggs mixed in, but do not try to beat it smooth.
If using a stand mixer, turn it on on low, add the flour and mix until dough just combines; the dough will be very sticky. If using a hand mixer it may be easier to stir the flour in by hand.
Stir in the pecans and cherries by hand.
If using a cookie scoop, create two logs of dough by placing scoops of dough abutting each other in a line on the cookie sheet. Then wet your fingers and shape and smooth the top and sides of dough into a log.
Shape each log into a rectangle 10” long 2” wide and 1” high.
If you do not have a cookie scoop, use a large soup spoon to scoop the dough, and a table knife to scrape it off the spoon on to the baking sheet.
Leave space between the two logs as they will spread during baking.
Brush the logs with egg whites and sprinkle with the Wilton sparkling sugar. You can use other brands of sparkling sugar but I find the Wilton holds up best in baking.
Bake approximately 25 minutes at 325°F. The logs should be firm, but not hard. With biscotti it’s about feel. lYou don’t want it too soft or too hard. It should be just firm to the touch on top.
Remove from the oven when it’s firm on top.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F
Cool the biscotti on the baking sheet 10 minutes.
With a good serrated knife cut the biscotti crosswise into 1/2" slices. It is important that you cut in a gentle sawing motion
If you want a coffee house style biscotti cut on the diagonal.
Now here’s where I differ from most bakers. I set my biscotti up right. I don’t like my biscotti to brown. I want the interior to dry out. So I set them up right. I lined them up. In a lines.
And back in the oven at 300°F
And they bake until they are dry. I rotate the sheet every 10 minutes. It can take 40 to 45 minutes or longer to dry out. And you have to feel for dryness. If it does not feel dry and you take them out of the oven you will have a soft biscotti when it cools.
You can add whatever add-in you like to the dough. Almonds, pistachios, fennel seed, candied ginger, dried apricot. It’s really just limited by your imagination.
*Trader Joe’s has the best prices on dried fruit and nuts.
These are dipped almond and fennel seed dipped in dark chocolate
