In the pub where I work there is a magic biscuit tin for the staff. Every few days it is mysteriously replenished
with delicious crunchy biscotti.
A few
days ago the secret was revealed to me. I met and got chatting to a lovely lady, a customer of the
pub, Barbara by name. She admitted to secretly topping up our stash. What a
lovely thing to do. We discussed
biscotti further and I told her of the fig and black pepper biscotti I used to
serve on my menus thus…
She asked for the recipe and I thought you might like it
too, especially as they are somewhat Christmassy!
Fig and Black Pepper Biscotti – approx 24
240g plain flour
1 (possibly generous) teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
15g soft butter
30g caster sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg white
75g chopped dried figs
1 (possibly generous) teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
15g soft butter
30g caster sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg white
75g chopped dried figs
~ Preheat the oven
to 180ºC/350°F/160ºC fan/gas 4.
~ Stir together the first four ingredients.
~ Whisk together the butter and sugar.
~ Lightly beat the egg and the white into the butter mixture.
~ Stir in the dry mixture to form a loose dough.
~ Add the figs and knead together till smooth.
~ On a floured surface into a log about 30cm long.
~ Place onto a baking tray and flatten to about 1½cm high.
~ Bake for 20 minutes till golden and a little firm.
~ Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
~ Reduce the oven temperature to 150ºC/300°F/130ºC fan/gas 2.
~ When cool enough to handle slice the logs on the diagonal about 1cm thick.
~ Return to the baking tray, cut sides up, and cook for 15-20 minutes till crisp and golden, turning them over after about 10 minutes.
~ Cool on a rack.
~ Stir together the first four ingredients.
~ Whisk together the butter and sugar.
~ Lightly beat the egg and the white into the butter mixture.
~ Stir in the dry mixture to form a loose dough.
~ Add the figs and knead together till smooth.
~ On a floured surface into a log about 30cm long.
~ Place onto a baking tray and flatten to about 1½cm high.
~ Bake for 20 minutes till golden and a little firm.
~ Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
~ Reduce the oven temperature to 150ºC/300°F/130ºC fan/gas 2.
~ When cool enough to handle slice the logs on the diagonal about 1cm thick.
~ Return to the baking tray, cut sides up, and cook for 15-20 minutes till crisp and golden, turning them over after about 10 minutes.
~ Cool on a rack.
For the sugar spiced walnuts recipe see here and for the port syrup recipe here.
Thinking about biscotti and having a
collection of salted pecans in the cupboard, as one does, I decided to make …
Salted Pecan and Brown Sugar Biscotti
 |
| Here's a handy image for Pinterest! |
250g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon vanilla past or a few drips of vanilla extract
120g coarsely chopped roasted and salted pecans
~ Preheat oven to 180ºC/350°F/160ºC
fan/gas 4.
~ Stir together the first three ingredients.
~ Lightly beat together the eggs and the vanilla.
~ Stir the dry into the wet and mix to a loose dough.
~ Add the pecans and knead into the dough.
~ Divide the dough into two parts and form two logs about 3cm diameter.
~ Lay onto a baking tray, somewhat apart, and lightly flatten to 1½cm high.
~ Bake for about 25 minutes till a slightly firm on the outside and taking a little colour.
~ Remove from the oven and set aside to cool and firm up a little.
~ Lower the oven heat to 160ºC/325°F/140ºC fan/gas 3.
~ Carefully slice the logs on the diagonal about 1cm thick.
~ Lay cut side up on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, turn the biscotti over and cook a further 10 minutes or so till crisp and golden.
~ Stir together the first three ingredients.
~ Lightly beat together the eggs and the vanilla.
~ Stir the dry into the wet and mix to a loose dough.
~ Add the pecans and knead into the dough.
~ Divide the dough into two parts and form two logs about 3cm diameter.
~ Lay onto a baking tray, somewhat apart, and lightly flatten to 1½cm high.
~ Bake for about 25 minutes till a slightly firm on the outside and taking a little colour.
~ Remove from the oven and set aside to cool and firm up a little.
~ Lower the oven heat to 160ºC/325°F/140ºC fan/gas 3.
~ Carefully slice the logs on the diagonal about 1cm thick.
~ Lay cut side up on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, turn the biscotti over and cook a further 10 minutes or so till crisp and golden.
Biscotti Information
Biscotti literally means twice cooked. They originate from ancient
ltaly where, due to their excellent keeping quality, they were used as
convenient food for travellers.
In Italy they are actually called cantucci; biscotti being a
term for biscuits in general (although not biscuits of the American persuasion!).
Being Italian biscotti are traditionally dunked in Italian
dessert wine, Vin Santo but are also great dipped in tea, coffee, hot choc or, depending on the biscotti, even mulled
wine.
Biscotti Storage
Make sure your biscotti are utterly, utterly cold then store them in an airtight container, where they should be good, if not for centuries, at least for a couple of weeks or so.
If they are softening pop them back into a medium hot oven
for a few minutes resulting in Triscotti!!
News from the
future …
One day a week I
spend sorting books that have been donated to Cornwall Hospice care – I love
it. Recently they published a book of
their own, The Great Cornish Cake Bake Cake Book (A collection of favourite recipes and the memories behind them) and the recipe I contributed was this biscotti
recipe!
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