Source: Butter Sugar Flour Eggs by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small chunks with a heavy knife
1 1/2 cups whole hazelnuts, toasted and peeled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 tablespoons almond liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)
Up to 4 tablespoons waterHeat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large sheet pan. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together. Transfer 1/2 cup of the mixture to a food processor. Add the toasted almonds and grind until fine and powdery, about 45 seconds. Add to the dry ingredients. Add the chopped chocolate and whole hazelnuts and mix.
Whisk the eggs, extracts, and almond liqueur together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix. The dough may seem dry, but it will come together as you work it. If the dough doesn't come together, add water. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 equal pieces. Wet your hands and roll each piece of dough into a flattened log about 10 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 1-inch high.
Transfer the logs to the pan, leaving at least 3 inches between the logs (they will spread during baking). Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes to ensure even baking.
Let cool 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Carefully transfer the logs to a cutting board. Wipe off the sheet pan and grease it again.
Using a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices, discarding the ends. Arrange the slices cut side up on the sheet pan. Bake until toasted, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the oven off, prop the oven door open, and let cool completely in the oven to set the chocolate. Store in an airtight container.
5 comments:
I have to admit sometimes I am lazy. First of all, I didn't bother to find the whole skinned hazelnuts. I just used the Diamond chopped hazelnuts (besides, I really don't know where to find them!). Second, I didn't want to cut the bittersweet chocolate into small chunks, so I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips instead. Had I chopped the chocolate chips, the biscottis would have been even darker because of the evenly distributed melted chocolate chunks. Next time I would use a little more almond extract because I like the smell so much :-) Glad I finally got to use the Amaretto that has been sitting in my pantry for a long time.
Well, I just learned that biscotti is the plural of biscotto. So no such a word biscottis! According to Wikipedia, the word is from Medieval Latin bis coctus, meaning "twice cooked." It's very cool because you really bake the dough twice!
are you changing careers?
I am just getting myself ready for the future career change. Although I know you miss the Chinese food in the US, you should still share your culinary adventures in Taiwan. BTW, I just missed my high school reunion in January...I should have asked you to attend on my behalf.
I would have went with you if you came...you could have showed off your little american "girlfriend." Everyone else tries to show me off...
where in kaohsiung are your parents? im going on friday to play some basketball.
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