American Style Vanilla Biscotti Food

AMERICAN-STYLE VANILLA BISCOTTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder. Beat in eggs (the batter may look slightly curdled). On low speed, add flour; mix well. Dough will be sticky., Grease a baking sheet or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough on the prepared sheet and shape into a 14-in. x 2-1/2-in. x 3/4-in. log. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. , Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 325°. Cool log on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the log. Cool 5 additional minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut with a serrated knife at a 45° angle into even 1/2-in. to 3/4-in. thick slices. , Place the biscotti on edge on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until biscotti feel dry on the edges and begin to turn golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.

AMERICAN-STYLE VANILLA BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18" x 13") baking sheet.
• In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.
• Plop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape it into a log that's about 14" long x 2 ½" wide x ¾" thick. Straighten the log, and smooth its top and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper works well here. Note: For extra-long, bistro-style biscotti, pat the dough into a lightly greased 12" x 5 1/2" biscotti pan.
• Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool on the pan anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes; just work it into the schedule of whatever else you're doing in the kitchen. Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, 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.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F Wait another 5 minutes, then use a serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 1⁄2" to 3⁄4" slices. Or cut the biscotti on the diagonal-for fewer, longer biscotti. As you're slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they'll topple over during their second bake.
• Set the biscotti on edge on the prepared baking sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, till they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden. They'll still feel a tiny bit moist in the very center, if you break off a piece; but they'll continue to dry out as they cool. Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.
• Variations: Add up to 2 cups nuts, dried fruit (dried, not fresh), or chips to the dough, along with the flour. Adjust the spice to suit the add-in, if desired; e.g., add 1 teaspoon cinnamon with 1 cup chopped dried apple and 1 cup diced pecans. Or substitute hazelnut, butter-rum, or your favorite flavor for the vanilla. A classic Italian anise biscotti is made with 1/2 teaspoon anise extract (or 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon anise oil, to taste), and 1 tablespoon fennel seeds.

WENDY'S BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. and lightly grease and flour a large baking sheet.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar, zest and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Into a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and gradually beat into butter mixture, beating until combined well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill dough 30 minutes, or until it no longer feels sticky.
• Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and halve. Form each piece into a flattish log about 12 inches long by 3 inches wide. Arrange logs at least 3 inches apart on baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet on a rack 5 minutes.
• On a cutting board cut logs crosswise on a diagonal into 1-inch-thick slices and arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake biscotti in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until golden.
• Transfer biscotti to racks and cool completely. Biscotti keep in an airtight container at room temperature.

BASIC ITALIAN BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Sift flour and measure. Resift with sugar and baking powder onto a flat surface. Cut shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• Make a well in flour and break eggs into it. Add vanilla, and knead dough well for about 5 minutes until it is smooth, adding a little more flour if dough seems to soft and sticky.
• Pinch off bits of dough about the size of an apricot, and form into desired shapes. Cookies may be baked as rings, strips, or in letters, such as S.
• Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet and bake in hot 450 degree F (230 degrees C) oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Watch carefully, because they burn easily.