Apricot Walnut Biscotti Food

APRICOT-WALNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread out nuts on a baking sheet; toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
• Rub nuts between paper towels to remove loose skins; coarsely chop nuts.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla. Mix in eggs in two batches, mixing each until just combined. On low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in walnuts and apricots by hand.
• Butter a large baking sheet; set aside. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; divide in half. With floured hands, shape each half into an 8 1/2-by-2 1/2-by-1-inch log. Place logs at least 2 inches apart on buttered baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack; let logs stand 10 minutes.
• Transfer logs to a cutting board. Clean and butter the large baking sheet; set aside. Brush logs with egg white, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Cut each log crosswise on the diagonal into 12 pieces (each 1/2 inch thick). Lay flat on buttered sheet. Bake 7 minutes; turn pieces. Bake until golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool until crisp.
• Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Dip a flat side of 12 biscotti in melted chocolate, arranging cookies, chocolate sides up, on parchment paper as you work. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container, keeping chocolate-dipped ones in a single layer on top, up to 2 days.

APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool slightly. Place nuts in a dishtowel and rub together to remove some of the skin. Coarsely chop and set aside.
• Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until soft and creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add lemon rind and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat well.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir to blend. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating on low until a smooth dough forms. Stir in hazelnuts and apricots.
• Divide dough in half. With lightly floured hands, form dough into two 10 x 2-inch logs. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet 15 minutes. Transfer logs to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut straight down through the log to make 1-inch-thick slices; discard end pieces. Arrange on a baking sheet.
• Bake 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn biscotti over and continue baking until lightly browned on the other side, about 9 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets before serving or storing. The biscotti store well for one week and freeze well. Makes about 20.

HELEN'S BLACK PEPPER WALNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. Stir in the pepper and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until pale and light. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the orange zest and vanilla and almond extracts.
• Fold in the flour mixture, then fold in the walnuts. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick silicone liners.
• Divide the dough in half, place 1 piece on each sheet and shape each piece into a 12-inch log, about 2 inches across and 1 inch tall. Bake until the logs are baked through and lightly browned, about 35 minutes.
• Let the logs cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheets (leave the oven on), then transfer them carefully to racks to cool 10 minutes more. Using a serrated knife, slice each log on the diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices cut-side down on the baking sheets and return to the oven until well toasted, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer the biscotti to cooling racks to cool completely. They will keep, tightly covered, up to 1 week.

APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Chop the apricots.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
• In a large bowl, beat 3 eggs, orange zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer until just combined. Stir in the flour mixture and beat until a stiff dough is formed.
• Fold in apricots.
• In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with the water. Form the dough into 2 logs, about 12 inches long each. Place on a greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Brush with egg wash.
• Bake at 350 degress for 40-50 minutes, until golden. Allow the logs to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
• With a serrated knife, cut the baked logs diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the slices (cut side down) on the baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 or 15 minutes more, until golden Cool on a wire rack. After cool, keep fresh in an airtight container.