My Favorite Biscotti Recipe

Here is my favorite basic biscotti recipe. It is so simple to make and doesn't take long either. The main thing is look for certain signals in the recipe as it is baking and change the recipe to your taste.

Basic Recipe:
1/2 cup butter (use real butter--it is worth it)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Liqueur--my favorite is Kahlua or Frangelico
1/4 teaspoon vanilla (use the real stuff)
2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (or if your butter is salted-just a pinch)
1 cup of nuts--I prefer pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts
4 oz of bittersweet chocolate or 1 cup of dried fruit that has been soaked in a tablespoon of vodka

A note about the nuts: I like to buy the nuts raw and then toast them in my oven. I toast them at 350 between 6 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the nuts. I think they taste better and they are healthier than roasted nuts. Do not use salted nuts.

A note about the fruit: I like a tart fruit because it blends well with the sweetness of the dough. You only need to soak the fruit for a few minutes while you are mixing the rest of the dough.

Directions: Toast your nuts first. They should be cool before you mix them in. Depending on your preference, you can chop them in your food processor or by hand or leave them whole.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and liqueur and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well blended. Fold in nuts, fruit and/or chocolate.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Create a loaf (in a baquette or hot dog shape) on the parchment paper.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven between 25 and 40 minutes. In my old oven it took 25. In my new one it takes at least 35. The surface of the loaf should be lightly browned when you take it out. Let cool for a minimum of 10 minutes. If you have chocolate, cool longer.

Slice crossways to create individual biscotti. Stand the biscotti up on the bottom edge (as if they were still in the loaf) with some space between them. Then bake again at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool. If you like them drier or harder bake longer the second time.

Melting chocolate is art. If you don't melt it enough, it is too hard. If you melt it too much, it gets burned and it is not usable. I like to melt my chocolate in the microwave.

The best way is to put your chocolate in a small bowl or pitcher. Then heat it for 30 seconds. Wait, then stir. Repeat until it just starts to melt.
Once it starts to melt, the hot chocolate will melt the rest of it. DON'T KEEP HEATING IT! That is how it gets burned.

Then spread, pour or dip to get it on the biscotti. What could be better?

Biscotti are made for dipping into coffee,tea or wine. They are made harder on purpose so that they will hold up to being soaked in liquid.

And if you make your biscotti right, the coffee, milk, or tea that you dip it in will enhance the flavor of the cookie. And believe it or not, lowfat biscotti are one of the most healthy cookies for you because they do not have a lot of fat, and they usually have fiber from the fruit and nuts that you add.

Here are a few coffee tips that I have learned over the years about coffee:

Keep your coffee in a sealed container that is in a dark room temperature cabinet. Putting it in the freezer adds moisture to it and lessens the flavor.

Buy your beans whole and grind them per use. This will give you the freshest tasting coffee.

If you can, buy your coffee for no more than a two week use at a time.