biscotti

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

what do you put in yours?

These are almond, pistache, fennel and lemon rind. Very little sugar.



I didn't look at the pistachio packet closely enough tho. Salt and pepper pistachio.
These are most odd, I'll have to use them as cheese crackers.

[Sakkarin Profile]

I stick with almonds, for me they toast just right, when the second baking is to absolute hard as rockness. I can't imagine pistachio would survive...

And no thanks to the fennel and lemon

Quite happy to try them if someone offered me them ready made though, and would probably enjoy!

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Well I'm anticipating a slice of cheese will recover them, Sakkarin.
There's little sweetness to them already, so I'm hopeful.

I've got marmite too

[miss mouse Profile]

I am going to try this

https://www.greatitalianchefs.com/recip ... tti-recipe


it has 30 gms of superfine polenta with 180gm plain flour in the recipe. Could I sub cornflour or not bother?

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I make pistachio and cranberry biscotti at Christmas, they are very nice and pretty, and of course I can get nice plain unsalted unroasted pistachios at the Turkish shops

I think this recipe is the one, I usually make twice this amount

http://www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipes/nigella-lawson-s-cranberry-and-pistachio-biscotti

Miss mouse, when you say cornflour, do you mean powdery corn starch, which I don't think will work, or corn meal, which should?

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Hi Miss Mouse.
I'd not bother, and just use plain all the way.

I think from my bread making days, cornstarch is a softener which is what you don't want.

[jeral Profile]

miss mouse: There's a recipe here which says that polenta is added to give a sustained crispness (and flavour) even if dunking:
https://www.prouditaliancook.com/2008/1 ... cotti.html

I can buy finely or medium ground cornmeal. I read elsewhere that if the grind wasn't stated it probably means medium, but contrarily I'd use fine as I wouldn't like a gritty taste. I've only seen polenta here as made-up cooked blocks which'd be no use for biscotti. Depends what you can get where you are.

Some I made were plain except for a teeny drop of almond extract (it's very strong) and very good they were

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Echo of Rowley Leigh's biscotti there with the fennel & lemon Gill - did you put together that recipe yourself? I'd love a copy please - anything that uses minimal sugar & little/ no flour I'm interested in

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I don't think from memory I've ever made any other biscotti recipe, although I've tweaked the ingredients often enough, Lush.
Depending what I've got in.
But 500g sugar : 500g flour is too much for me.

This is the recipe direct on Rachel Eats site, she's halved the ingredients.

https://racheleats.wordpress.com/2009/1 ... nday-26th/

I used 75g sugar : 500g flour.
And I always find his mix dry, so added 2 tblsp water to be able to pull it together.
I've used vanilla extract before, which adds enough moisture.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Ahh I see I thought for a minute you'd used ground almonds instead of the flour! 75gms of sugar is plenty for me too. Who can resist a freshly baked biscotti............?!

Your salt & pepper ones might turn out to be a savoury 'find' !

[miss mouse Profile]

Thanks everyone.

I meant regular cornflour Stokey. The sweet biscotti recipe I have used is much like the Nigella one. I won't bother with the polenta, it is annoying to have stuff sitting around.

[Alexandria Profile]

Gil,

These Biscotti look incredible .. Thank you for posting ..

My paternal great grandfather was Italian and though he was not from Napoli or Naples, both my great grand parents were in the hospitality industry ..

Ischia Porto, is renowned for their Neapolitan Biscotti, pastries, tarts, cakes, fritters and gelati as well .. Capri is famous for its Capri Chocolate Torte.

Biscotti:

Whole roasted almonds
Fine grated orange zest
Honey instead of sugar
Pastry Flour ( Italian Bio from health food store )
Baking soda, Baking powder
1 Large egg
1 Large egg yolk
1 / 2 tsp. Cinammon powder


Have a wonderful evening .. and weekend ..

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

The only place I can get free flowing polenta/cornmeal is in either my local corner shop, which has a good selection of ethnic foods, or any of the Asian stores in town. I often count myself lucky that I live in a multi-culturual town. We also have several Polish supermarkets as well.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Thank you, Member 461.

Lush, I bet you could use ground almond (flour). That is worth an experiment, maybe with a half batch.
But also, I have not made a true find with the black pepper.

Strictly, the same here. I should use Gloucester more also, they have tremendous stores and markets.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I think I will experiment with the ground almonds - worth a shot, I find myself trying to cut down on flour these days - no particular reason!

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I agree with you regarding the flour.
Stops you getting that bleeuuuuuuurted feeling so much.

[jeral Profile]

I find it's wheat flour that causes bloating, so including wheat breakfast cereals, pasta (dunno if it's the wheat or the gluten). Gluten-free flour might work for people as it's a non-wheat flour mix, e.g. Doves Farm in most supermarkets. It's better I reckon to follow a g-f recipe though rather than expecting it to suit those designed on wheat with its gluten elasticity.

I found this biscotti one on Google which solely uses almond meal (many use almond flour or g-f flour) that might be worth an experimental try: https://www.yummly.co.uk/recipe/Gluten- ... ti-2398251

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I was wondering if you might need zeeee butter with an almond flour version, Jeral.

Not a huge fan of eating gluten free products when not required tho, due to the additives required in there.
So I'll pass on using gf flour.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Here´s my recipe for Biscotti with Green Olives & Sundried Tomatoes:

100 gms sundried tomatoes, soaked for 10 mins in hot water, drained, chopped.
350 gms bread flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 tsp black pepper
5 tbsps grated pecorino (or parmesan) cheese
180 gms green, pitted olives, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
Pinch ground bay leaf

Mix all ingredients together to form a stiff dough. Roll into a log, place on a baking sheet and bake for 25 mins at 350º. Remove, cool then slice on the diagonal, about 1/2" thick. Return to the oven and bake for a further 25 mins until crisp and dry.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Nice one, Clive.
I'll give those savoury puppies a whirl.