4 Tips to making Perfect Biscotti – Shades of Cinnamon (2024)
I love these Cranberry and Cashew Biscotti , they’re perfect with coffee, asabreakfast on the go, with anafternoon tea as a sweet snack, or after dinner for a light dessert. Seriously I can’t get enough of them. These are my 4 tips to making perfect biscotti.
Biscotti can sometimes be very hard and crispy, but the addition of cranberries makes for some soft chewy fruity flavoursinthis delicious recipe. Biscotti as its name implies, means “twice baked”, and double baking is the secret to these crunchy Italian cookies.Their hard texture makes them perfect for dunking into your hot drink, or even wine. To make biscotti, the dough is shaped into a loaf shape and baked. The baked loaf is then cut into slices that are baked again until they become dry and hard. Once you’ve mastered making a traditional biscotti, your variations are endless.
And as for my new blue mixing bowl, how gorgeous is it? Just like my mother used to have, except back in those days they were all cream. I think I am definitely going to head back to the store and buy another one in a different size , it somehow seems very lonely on its own.
4Ways to make perfect biscotti.
Always use a serrated knife (preferably a bread knife) in a sawing motion to cutnice smooth clean slices.
If you want longslices like a coffee shop biscotti, slice the logs at an angle. I normally just slice straight, but that is my preference.
After the first bake, allow the biscotti to cool for about 10 minutes but don’t leave them too long. If you leave them too long the dough will become too hard and it will be difficult to cut, but if you cut them when they are hot the slices will crumble.
After the second bake make sure that the biscotti cools on a wire rack to allow them to crispcompletely.
Biscotti can be kept in airtight containers for weeks, and as this recipe makes about 50-60 depending on how thick you cut the slices , that means cookies with coffee for awhile.
Sift flour, baking powder and caster sugar into a large bowl.
In another bowl whisk eggs, vanilla and orange rind.
Add the cranberries and broken up cashew nuts into dry ingredients.
Add egg mixture and combine with a wooden spoon.
Mix with your hands to combine completely into a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a very well floured surface and knead until smooth.
Keep adding flour if mixture gets too wet.
Divide into two equal portions and roll into 15cm long logs (or shorter if you want larger biscotti).
Place on a silpad or well greased baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes or until firm.
Set aside and allow to cool for 10minutes before slicing with a serrated knife into 3mm thick slices.
Place the slices on baking trays lined with baking paper or silpad and bake for a further 8-10minutes until golden and crisp. Watch at this stage as you dont want them to go too brown .
Because the dough can be sticky and hard to form, it's important to chill the batter for a good 30 minutes before baking the first time. Prepare a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper then dust it with a little flour. Transfer the batter to the baking sheet and chill in the fridge.
A: Overbaking the logs of dough during the first baking can make the slices crumble as you are cutting them. Also, even if the logs of dough are perfectly baked, they will crumble if they are sliced while still warm, so be patient. The logs crumble when you use a dull knife, too.
Don't overbeat the eggs. You want just enough air pockets to add some crispiness and texture, but not so many that you get a lot of crumble in your biscotti instead. Don't overmix the batter. You just want to see all of your ingredients come together and that's it!
Despite their centuries-old heritage, there is no one perfect way to make biscotti. Some recipes call for eggs only, which is the traditional method, while others swear by butter or oil. The choice is yours; just keep in mind that those made with butter or oil will have both a softer texture and a shorter shelf life.
Biscotti dough is inherently sticky. I recommend adequately flouring your hands before working the dough, and if it's still too sticky to handle, add a little flour at a time but just enough so you can work with it. Chocolate.
The trickiest parts of making them are the mixing and the shaping and baking. Just like biscuits, you can't overmix the dough. I found that if the dough is mixed too much, the biscotti becomes dense and heavy.
Most baked goods need a leavening agent to make them rise, and if you leave it out, your cake or your cookies will fall flat. Baking powder makes dough rise because it contains both a base and an acid in dried form.
Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
To store biscotti, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature. Lining the container with a paper towel will help soak up any excess moisture that finds its way in.
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