Honey Apricot Biscotti Food

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.

HONEY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and creamy.
• Beat in sugar and honey until smooth, then add eggs one at a time.
• Add vanilla and orange flower water and mix to thoroughly combine.
• Mix dry ingredients into the wet just until mixed.
• The dough should be stiff at this point.
• Stir in the orange zest and pistachios.
• Divide dough in half.
• On a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper, shape each half into a 12x3-inch log.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden.
• Remove from the oven and transfer logs to a cutting board.
• Reduce oven to 325°F
• While still warm, Use a long serrated knife to cut each log diagonally into ½-inch slices.
• If logs become cool and begins to crack when cut, rewarm in the oven for about 30 seconds until soft enough to slice easily.
• Arrange the cut strips back on the baking sheet and bake for another 20 minutes, until dry, crisp and lightly colored. Remove from the oven and cool completely on wire racks, then store in an airtight container.
• [Chef�s Note: If you do not have access to orange flower water, feel free to substitute orange extract or use all vanilla extract. Biscotti will continue to crisp as they cool after the second baking, so be careful not to over bake. These cookies will keep for a few weeks stored in an airtight container; they also freeze nicely in an airtight plastic bag for a few months.].

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.

ALMOND APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add whole egg, milk, and extracts, stirring with a fork until a soft dough forms, then knead in almonds.
• Divide dough between 2 sheets of wax paper, then form into 2 equal mounds and flatten each mound into a 5-inch disk. Put half of apricots in center of 1 disk and fold dough over apricots to enclose them (use wax paper as an aid if necessary), then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Form into a 14- by 2 1/2-inch log lengthwise on 1 side of baking sheet, spreading dough with wet hands. Make another log with remaining dough and apricots, arranging it about 4 inches from first log.
• Brush logs with egg wash and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and firm, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 20 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F while logs cool.
• Carefully transfer baked logs to a cutting board using 2 wide metal spatulas, then cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch-wide slices with a large heavy knife.
• Line baking sheet with a clean sheet of parchment. Stand slices, curved sides up, 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet and bake in upper third of oven until biscotti are dry, about 30 minutes (they will become hard as they cool). Transfer biscotti to rack to cool.

APRICOT AND ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove enough zest from one large orange to make 1 tsp. set aside.
• Squeeze the orange to obtain 2 teaspoons of orange juice.
• Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, eggs, salt, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla for 2 to 3 minutes, until thick and pale.
• Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl a little bit at a time. Add in the chopped apricots and almonds and mix on medium-low speed until all the ingredients are moistened.
• Let the dough rest a couple of minutes in the mixer bowl.
• Scrape out the dough with a rubber spatula onto a lined cookie sheet (I used a sheet for each log) and divide the dough in half.
• Spray hands with cooking spray. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, then shape each into a flattened log, about 3 inches wide and 12 inches long. If you are using one baking tray, place logs a few inches apart on the baking sheet so they won't stick together as they bake. If you have two sheets, place one log on each lined baking sheet.
• Bake until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed, about 20-25 minutes.
• Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let logs cool completely (could take a full 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Transfer the first loaf carefully to a cutting board. When the logs have completely cooled down, begin slicing the first log by pressing a very sharp knife straight down into the dough. Place the cookies back on the baking sheet, cut sides up. Keep in mind that the when you slice on a bigger angle, you will get much longer cookies. If you slice short angles, you'll get small biscotti. Place the second log on the cutting board and repeat process cutting out the cookie pieces and placing on the baking sheet.
• Bake 7 minutes, flip biscotti, and bake 7 minutes more.
• Set the sheet on a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. After 3 days, safest to store in the refrigerator.

HONEY ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a baking pan 13-15 inches long with either cooking spray and foil or parchment.
• Combine honey and water, stirring to form a solution; stir in almond extract and/or vanilla if desired and set aside.
• Combine the dry ingredients (including the ground and the whole almonds) and stir for a minute or so to combine.
• Add honey-water and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated into a thick dough.
• Divide the dough in half and form or roll into 2 logs about 12 inches long (they'll spread out as they bake so place well apart from each other in the pan)--Tip: Lightly moisten your fingers with water to prevent the dough from sticking to them. It's easier to shape the logs.
• Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes; they should be well risen, firm, and a dark golden color. It is important that the logs bake a half hour or very close to it.
• After cooling for 5-10 minutes, slice the logs diagonally at 1/2 inch intervals with a sharp knife.
• Place the biscotti on their sides and bake about 15 minutes at 300°F until lightly colored and dry.
• If they need to bake longer than 15 minutes, turn them over to avoid over-browning the side on bottom.
• Allow to cool in the pan and store in a tin or tightly closed container.
• (Note: I usually buy raw almonds and roast them myself in a 300°F oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring after the first 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature before using in a recipe).

NONNA'S BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Stir together sugar, butter, brandy, and extracts in a large bowl, then stir in almonds and eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
• Chill dough, covered, 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Using moistened hands, halve dough and form 2 (16-by 2-inch) loaves on an ungreased large baking sheet.
• Bake until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Carefully transfer loaves to a rack and cool 15 minutes.
• Cut loaves into 3/4-inch slices with a serrated knife.
• Arrange biscotti, with a cut side down, on a clean baking sheet and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

HONEY NUT OAT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• In bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in honey.
• Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; beat in vanilla.
• Mix together flour, rolled oats, pecans, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture until moistened.
• On large greased baking sheet, spoon batter into two 10 x 2 inch logs, smoothing surface with floured fingers.
• Bake in 350 F.
• oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Let cool on pan for 5 minutes.
• Transfer logs to cutting board; cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices.
• Stand slices up, slightly apart, on baking sheet.
• Reduce heat to 325 F.
• ;bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and almost firm to the touch.
• Remove to rack and let cool.
• (Cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.) Makes 30 cookies.
• VARIATION: Honey Nut Apricot Biscotti: For this softer, less crunchy version of the classic biscotti, reduce pecans to 3/4 cup and add 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots.
• Canadian Living Per cookie: about 145 calories, 2 g.
• protein, 6 g fat, 20 g carbohydrate.

HONEY AND ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour large baking sheet. Whisk flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl to blend. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Add 4 eggs, honey, lemon peel and vanilla to well. Stir egg mixture until blended; gradually mix in dry ingredients. Mix in almonds.
• Drop dough onto prepared sheet by tablespoonfuls, forming two 12-inch-long by 2-inch-wide logs. Space logs 3 inches apart. Using moistened fingertips, shape logs neatly. Beat remaining egg in small bowl. Brush logs generously with egg; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake logs until golden and firm to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Transfer warm logs to work surface. Cut on slight diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on 2 clean baking sheets. Bake until pale golden, about 8 minutes. Cool completely. Store airtight up to 1 week.