Hazelnut And Dried Cherry Biscotti Food

HAZELNUT AND DRIED CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Position a rack in the center of the oven. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix thoroughly.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, butter, eggs, salt, and vanilla for 2 to 3 minutes, until thick and pale. Add the flour mixture a little bit at a time. Add in the hazelnut and dried cherries and mix on medium-low speed until all the ingredients are moistened.
• Use a spatula to scrape out the dough onto a lined cookie sheet (I used a sheet for each log) and divide the dough in half (or do one log to make marge larger biscotti).
• Spray hands with cooking spray; form each piece of dough into a 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Bake until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed, about 20-25 minutes.
• Let the logs cool for at least 15 minutes and then reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Carefully place the loaves on a cutting board. Using a long serrated knife, cut each log on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place slices, cut side up, on sheet. Bake 7 minutes, flip biscotti, and bake 7 minutes more (it may only take 5 minutes on each side, every oven is different).
• Set the sheet on a rack to cool completely. May be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks

DRIED CHERRY AND ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla.
• Gently mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, fold in the almonds and dried cherries.
• Divide the dough in half and roll the dough into 2 logs. If the dough is sticky, dust with a little flour. Roll the logs to the length of a sheet pan. Beat the egg white with a splash of water. Brush the logs with the egg white and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Transfer to a sheet pan and place at least 3 inches apart. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven let cool for 10 minutes. Remove logs to a cutting board and slice on the bias about 3/4 inch thick. Lay the biscotti back on the sheet pan and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. This will harden the biscotti. Cool completely on a rack.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. Dip each biscotti or pretzel in the chocolate to cover half of each and then dip in the sprinkles or candy cane pieces. Set each piece on the lined cookie sheet to allow the chocolate to harden. Store in a cool place in air-tight containers. Try not to eat them all at the same time.
• Bring a saucepan with 1-inch of water in it to a boil. Put the chocolate in a large metal or heatproof glass mixing bowl and place on top of the saucepan with boiling water. Pay careful attention that the mixing bowl does not touch the surface of the boiling water. Stir the chocolate until it is almost completely melted. Remove it from the saucepan and continue stir until the chocolate is completely melted. This entire process should take no more than 5 to 10 minutes.

CINNAMON HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; mix into the egg mixture. Stir in the hazelnuts. Shape dough into two equal logs approximately 12 inches long. Place logs on baking sheet, and flatten out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
• Bake for about 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden and the center is firm. Remove from oven to cool on the pans. When loaves are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to slice the loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet.
• Bake for an additional 10 minutes, turning over once. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

DRIED CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly. Beat in egg whites and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture. Stir in cherries and almonds (dough will be stiff). , Press into an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pan to a cutting board; cut biscotti in half with a serrated knife. Cut each half into 1/2-in. slices. , Place slices cut side down on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown, turning once. Remove to wire racks to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

DRIED CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Lightly grease one cookie sheet (spray oil works well for this).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Blend flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until dough is formed.
• Stir in cherries and almonds.
• Turn the dough out on lightly floured surface and knead several times. Using the greased cookie sheet as a surface, divide the dough in half and form into two flat logs about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
• Let cool directly on the baking sheet resting on a rack for 10 minutes.
• Lower heat to 325°F.
• On a cutting board, cut the logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces.
• Put back into oven for 5 minutes.
• Turn over and bake 5 more minutes.
• Remove from cookie sheet and cool on baking rack.
• Store in airtight container.

HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Variations-------------.
• GINGER: halve the amount of the nuts and add 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1/3 cup minced candied ginger and 1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger.
• Omit the hazelnut liquer and add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• ORANGE:Add 3 tablespoons grated orange zest and use orange liquer instead of hazelnut.
• CHOCOLATE: Increase the amount of cocoa to 1/2 cup, increase the liquer to 1/4 cup.
• Decrease nuts by 1/3 and add 1 cup white chocolate chopped, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• LEMON-PINE NUT: Omit the nuts, cocoa and liquer.
• Use lightly toasted pine nuts and add 1 1/2 tablespoons each of grated lemon rind and lemon juice.
• COFFEE: Using the hazelnut or almond recipe, add 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules.
• Also add 2 teaspoons ground cardamon or cinnamon.
• Halve the amount of the nuts and add 1 cup chopped dried apricots and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Preheat the oven to 350'F (180'C or Gas mark 4).
• Place half of the hazelnuts and ALL of the sugar in a blender (or food processor) and process until the nuts are finely chopped.
• Place in a bowl.
• Coarsley chop the rest of the nuts and add to bowl along with the dry ingredients.
• In another bowl, blend the eggs, liquer and butter.
• Stir into the dry ingredients and knead gently with your hands to form a dough.
• Divide the dough in half and on lightly greased baking trays, form the dough into 2- 14 inch rolls- 3" wide and 1" thick.
• Bake at 350'F for 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Cut with a serrated knife into 1/2" slices.
• Return the slices to the baking trays.
• Place them UPRIGHT and SPACED WELL APART.
• Lower the oven to 300'F and bake for another 20 minutes until crisp and dry- but NOT brown.
• Cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and salt in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.
• Beat sugar and eggs with a mixer at high speed until thick and pale (about 4 minutes). Add oil and extracts, beating until well-blended. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in cherries and chocolate chips.
• Divide dough in half; turn out onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Shape each portion into a 10-inch-long roll, and flatten to 1-inch thickness. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove rolls from the baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
• Cut each roll diagonally into 20 (1/2-inch) slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over, and bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack.