Fruity Biscotti Food

FRUITY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Put the flour, baking powder, spice and sugar in a large bowl, then mix well. Stir in the eggs and zest until the mixture starts forming clumps, then bring the dough together with your hands - it will seem dry at first but keep kneading until no floury patches remain. Add the fruit and nuts, then work them in until evenly distributed.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces. With lightly floured hands, roll each piece into a sausage about 30cm long. Place 2 on each tray, well spaced apart. Bake for 25-30 mins until the dough has risen and spread and feels firm. It should still look pale. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack for a few mins until cool enough to handle, then turn down the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1.
• Using a bread knife, cut into slices about 1cm thick on the diagonal, then lay the slices flat on the baking sheets. The biscuits can be cooled and frozen flat on the sheet at this point, then bagged and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake for another 15 mins (20 mins if from frozen), turn over, then bake again for another 15 mins until dry and golden. Tip onto a wire rack to cool completely, then store in an airtight tin for up to one month, or pack into boxes or cellophane bags if giving as gifts straightaway.

CHEF JOHN'S ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
• Place butter, 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, olive oil in a separate mixing bowl. Mix together thoroughly until mixture has a creamy texture. Add 1 egg; mix into butter/sugar mixture. Whisk in 2nd egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract; whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated. Add whole almonds and chopped almonds; mix in evenly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat.
• Divide dough in half. Place each half on a length of plastic wrap and shape into a log. Wrap with the plastic wrap and press into a shape about 3 or 4 inches wide and about 1/2 inch high. Transfer both pieces to prepared baking sheet leaving about 3 or 4 inches of space between them to allow for spreading.
• Bake in center of preheated oven until turning golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before slicing.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cut each piece at a slight angle into 1/2- to 1 -inch thick slices with a serrated knife. Transfer pieces back to baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 12 minutes; remove from oven and flip pieces over. Return pan to oven and bake until biscotti are golden brown and crunchy, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer biscotti to a cooling rack; let cool to room temperature.

TROPICAL FRUIT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat flour, granulated sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and allspice to combine. Add butter; beat on medium speed until coarse crumbs form, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low and add whole eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, until a stiff dough forms. Beat in pistachios, papaya, and ginger. (If they don't completely incorporate, knead in.)
• On a parchment‐lined baking sheet, shape dough into two 11‐inch logs. Pat each out to 2 inches wide. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar. Bake until set in middle, firm to the touch, and light golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack.
• With a serrated knife, slice logs on the diagonal, slightly wider than 1/4 inch. Arrange slices, cut‐sides down, on parchment‐lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until just golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.

FRUITCAKE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Toss the cranberries, figs, orange peel, red and green cherries and 3/4 cup bourbon in a bowl. Cover and let soak 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture until combined, then beat in the walnuts and dried fruit mixture (the dough will be sticky).
• Butter your hands and divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a 4-by-12-inch log on a separate baking sheet. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the logs are golden around the edges, 35 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes on the baking sheets. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
• Transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide pieces. Arrange the slices cut-side down on the baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans and flipping the biscotti halfway through, until browned and crisp, about 1 hour. Transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Whisk the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon in a bowl; drizzle on the biscotti. Let set 15 minutes.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.
• Add eggs, nuts and fruit.
• Mix well.
• Put into a greased loaf pan and bake on 180 degrees for about 40 minutes.
• Cool and turn out of pan.
• Slice loaf as thinly as possible and layer on large oven tray.
• Reduce oven to low temperature and place tray in oven to dry out biscotti for approximately another 40 minutes.

FRUITCAKE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using paddle attachment, combine flour, granulated sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add butter and beat on medium-high until coarse crumbs form. With mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in almonds, citrus peel, and dried fruit.
• On two parchment-lined baking sheets, shape dough into four 3-inch-wide logs. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until just set in middle, 30 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. With a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets until just golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets on racks.

TONI'S TROPICAL BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, orange zest and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in coconut, mangoes and pistachios., Divide dough in half. On ungreased baking sheets, shape each half into a 12x4-in. rectangle. Bake 15-20 minutes or until firm to the touch., Cool on pans on wire racks until cool enough to handle. Transfer baked rectangles to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut crosswise into 1/2-in. slices. Place on ungreased baking sheets, cut side down. Bake 6-7 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.,

FRUITED NUT BARS (BISCOTTI)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Place nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake nuts for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Remove from oven and let cool. Chop into hearty sized pieces.
• Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add in vanilla extract and eggs.
• In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and spices
• In a third bowl, sprinkle a tablespoon of the flour mixture on top of the dried fruit and mix together. (This helps to keep the fruit from clinging together in a lump).
• Combine the rest of the flour into the butter, sugar and eggs. Fold in the fruit and nuts by hand.
• Divide the dough into two.
• On a greased, sprayed or lined cookie sheet place half the dough spreading out into a log 1/2 inch high, 1 1/2 inches wide and about 14 inches long. (Keep your ends a little squared off so you don't have itty bitty dried cookies from the end.) Repeat with second log allowing space between for the two logs to expand.
• Bake in the middle section of the oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned (also at 325 degrees). Let sit for a minute then remove to a rack for 5 minutes.
• Place logs on cutting board and using a serrated knife cut log into 1/2 inch pieces at a slight (45 degree) angle. Place the slices back onto the cookie sheet cut side up. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
• Allow cookies to completely cool before storing in a tightly covered tin. Stored well biscotti will last for a week or two.