Biscotti-- eggs or butter?

[jordana]

Does anyone have an authentic biscotti recipe? Is biscotti egg based or butter based?

I have been making biscotti recently and I have been using a butter based recipe they are good but not as hard as I would like. They always turn out to crumbly .

Also any tips on biscotti baking and ideas for mix ins would be appreciated

[Chocolatechipkt]

Dorie Greenspan's Lenox Almond biscotti are fabulous. They're a little non-traditional, as they include some cornmeal, but they're also crunchy without breaking your teeth. Really really good.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
(scroll down for the recipe)

[applgrl]

Cook's Illustrated "Lemon-Anise Biscotti" is divine. Before Christmas I bought fresh anise seed at a boutique spice shop and the result was the best holiday cookie of the season.

My kids wanted me to cover it in chocolate but I refused so that I could keep them all to myself.....anise isn't for everybody......

[felicekitchen]

no butter should be used in an italian biscotti recipe (cantucci)
the american version does use it however

[buzzedchef]

the best biscotti is an egg base recipe. You must cream your eggs and sugar together and when baking like most all biscotti its twice baked. First go around is in a solid mass on a cooking sheet. When its done it will still be soft in the center and crusty around the edge. Slice the biscotti into strips or any way you want it. Place back in the oven at 200 or so and dry it out. When im training someone to bake at work I'll teach them to follow recipes but its not the recipe thats doing the baking. Time and Temp are allways important but you are better off watching and testing constantly rather the set it and forget way.

[k_snap]

Almond Biscotti from Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food. (no butter)

http://twofatals.com/?p=387

[jordana]

does anyone have a good biscotti recipe that uses olive oil?

[k_d]

Michele Sciocolone's cookbook is the best source for every type of biscotti you can think of (both traditional and Americanized).

http://www.amazon.com/Dolce-Vita-Mich...

[buzzedchef]

no why would you want to put olive oil in biscotti

[shumash]

From my experience, oil is actually great for biscotti. I've tried a recipe that did not have any fats and it did not come out well... at all. Adding 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used sunflower, but olive oil might work too) made all the difference. These are not hard-as-stone, but rather crispy and great by themselves without dipping.

For the dough:
3 eggs
3.5 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pinch salt
1 Tbsp baking powder

Of course, you need flavorings, nuts and/or dried fruit too.
There are instructions on making this dough here:
http://www.recipestudio.com/2010/10/b...

[vvvindaloo]

my family's recipe calls for oil, too. i think they're great that way- the darker and crisper, the better. you never really see oil in printed or online recipes for biscotti- only on faded, stained pieces of paper from nonna's kitchen drawer!

[Abbeshay]

Nancy Silverton has a good recipe in her dessert cookbook that uses up the crumbs of another type of cookie ( I have used crumbled cinnamon graham crackers with excellent results). The recipe call for both melted and cooled butter and egg, both the yolks and the whites, and I sometimes add some chopped nuts (about one cup) to the dough, which is very dry. This is an excellent recipe both in flavor and texture, which reminds me of the type of biscotti you might get in an old Italian coffeehouse in Soho.

[57suz]

What is the name of the book? I've been looking for this recipe everywhere?

[Robert Lauriston]

"Desserts." http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Searc...

[emmisme]

Scroll halfway down the page to "Biscotti: History..."

http://www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/...

[yayadave]

Good stuff. Thanks. I saved two articles about biscotti. So much for the library. Everything's on the internet!

[emmisme]

I found an interesting website that talks about the ratio of eggs to flour and oil/butter to flour to achieve a specific texture of biscotti. As I stated previously, I'm not a "dunker" so traditional hard biscotti is not for me. I'm looking for a light, crisp texture so I'll be experimenting with the formula stated in the website.

The texture I'm looking for is like Nonni's biscotti I bought at Costco.

[yayadave]

I borrowed a couple of biscotti cookbooks from the library looking for information "about the ratio of eggs to flour and oil/butter to flour to achieve a specific texture of biscotti." They only had recipes, but not the information I was seeking. Could you post the address of the site you found?

[mpfd]

My absolute favorite biscotti recipe is this one for Orange and Almond Biscotti, made with 3 eggs and just a bit of oil. Always get requests for the recipe when anyone tries them. They're not too hard and have a great texture and flavour. Try it and let me know what you think.

ALMOND ORANGE BISCOTTI

21⁄4 cups flour
11⁄4 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp canola oil
1⁄4 tsp almond extract
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1⁄2 cup chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Make a well in the centre of the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Divide the dough in half.

Shape each half into flat-bottomed cylinders (1" high x 2-1/2" wide x 8" long).

Bake 30-35 minutes or until brown on top. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Cut into 3/4" slices.

Return to oven with cut side down for 15 minutes or until slices are brown.

Remove from oven and cool on racks.

[jordana]

I like to mix in chocolate chips and dried apricots.
I never use sugar if i am using chocolate chips--because it always comes out too sweet. Also i justify eating a lot of them because sans chocolate they ae sugar free :)

What other mix in do u like?

[Anna B]

white chocolate, crystallized ginger, lime zest, and toasted pistachios!

[Nettie]

I just substituted Scharffenberger chocolate nibs for chocolate chips when I made some biscotti recently--I like the nibs better than chips because they stand up to the two bakings without melting.

[Mila]

I made white chocolate, pistachio and sun dried cranberry combination last Christmas. It was delicious, but I'm sure very untraditional.

[Cheese Boy]

As I was reading this thread, I was trying to remember where someone had a great combination (and colorful) add-ins to their biscotti. Then I saw your reply, Mila. Did you post this recipe in an earlier thread? Would love to have it, or please supply the link. Thank you.

[Mila]

I'm trying to remember where I got this recipe. I'm thinking either Sugar by Anna Olsen or Martha Stewart.
But I found this Epicurious recipe.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...

I'll take a look when I get back from my extra long weekend.

By the way, I discovered when making this recipe there is a huge difference in dried cranberries. We got some fresh ones (well fresh dried) from the farmers's market and the taste was unbelieveable compared to the grocery store version. It was not a product that I would have assumed would have had such a difference.

[Cheese Boy]

Thanks, Mila. I'll be on the lookout for "moist" dried cranberries. I think that's what you were implying if we were to get them from a farmer's market, right? They're actually fresher that way.

[Mila]

Hi Cheese Boy,
Finally remembered where I got this recipe. I also dipped the end of the biscotti in white chocolate which seems to have been my invention.

We have this amazing free magazine produced by the government run liquor stores in Ontario and they still had the recipe from 2000.

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/RecipeCo...

The cranberries, which I got at a Farmers market in Quebec City, were a brighter red than usual. They were a little bit plumper than your average dried cranberry. I'm going to try and find some here this year.

Can't believe you've got me thinking about Christmas baking. LOL. Hope recipe works for you.

[sheiladeedee]

epicurious has a great pistachio and dried cranberry biscotti; I have done that one for years. I also do one with slivered toasted almonds and candied orange peel, one with hazelnuts and dipped in chocolate, and one with honey, cinnamon and almonds. I did one with candied ginger and I liked it but not enough to make it again.

[La Dolce Vita]

Hands-down, the best biscotti recipe (in my opinion) can be found in Corby Kummer's book, "The Joy of Coffee." He gives two recipes, one with butter (from an Italian lady) and one without butter. The one without butter is my favorite. It is crunchy, totally delicious, and easily converts to a chocolate biscotti (he gives directions for this, if I recall correctly.)

[rosielucchesini]

and as for mix-ins (sorry, I forgot to respond to your second question), i prefer the classic add-ins: almonds, pine nuts, and/or lemon/orange zest. enjoy!

[rosielucchesini]

i have a biscotti cookbook that i've used for years and not one recipe calls for butter. and they all turn out fantastically dry and crunchy-just begging to be dipped.

[jay27]

Would you please provide one of your favorites from this book?

[piccola]

Traditionally, biscotti are made with no added fat besides eggs.

[emmisme]

How can one achieve crisp biscotti? I'm not a "dunker" so I would love to find a T & T recipe with a crisp rather than hard texture.

[Robert Lauriston]

Use a nontraditional recipe that includes butter.

[yayadave]

I don't know what a T & T recipe is, but I like a biscotti that doesn't make me think of Melba Toast. This looks pretty good and it's a classic combination. I only came across it today, so I haven't tried it yet, but it looks a lot like next.

Terry's White Chocolate Macadamia Biscotti, (Tender Biscotti)
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getr...

[Robert Lauriston]

That recipe's more like chocolate-chip cookies cooked in the style of biscotti. Pretty radical Americanization of the Italian original.

[yayadave]

Maybe it's an "Original American Riff on an Italian Original." They should end up dryer than a cookie would be. But you're right about cookie-like. I was thinking about a hermit type of biscotti, also.

[Cheese Boy]

Tried and True, yaya.

[yayadave]

Thanks. All this modern stuff just befuddles me.

[bookgirl234]

I use Maida Heatter's recipe for Almond and Chocolate Chip Biscotti and everyone loves it. It doesn't call for butter and the cookies come out hard but not that crumbly. I don't know how authentic the recipe is but they're as good as I've had in Italian bakeries. As for ideas I sometimes substitute a bit of the flour for cocoa powder. I'm going to include dried cherries the next time I make them. And I think that's going pretty soon because I'm now craving them!

Here's a link to the recipe online; it can also be found in Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts:
http://www.labellecuisine.com/Archive...

[sivyaleah]

Thanks for the link - it's a great site in general, so I've bookmarked it for future use. I especially look forward to the Gingerbread Biscotti recipe for Christmas.

[cherrypie]

Thanks, I'm new to this site, I have been searching for a recipe without butter or oil and will try this one. Any suggestions on storage for advanced holiday baking, freezing or plastic bags??
thanks

[bookgirl234]

I've never made them in advance so I'm not sure about freezing. I do store them in plastic bags and that seems to work fine. Having said that though they don't really linger in the bag - too many hands reaching in for one!

[AGM_Cape_Cod]

I have had great success finishing the first baking, cooling, wrapping and freezing the logs. Then defrosting and doing the second baking.

[shumash]

Why oh why would you freeze biscotti? Am I missing something? They keep unrefrigerated in an air-tight container for weeks. Two weeks at the very least.

[cherrypie]

Biscotti freeze very well. I put them in zip lock freezer bags, I know I've had them frozen at least a month. I usually take one day, and make several batches, the only way to have any left to store!! It's so nice to just pull a dozen out of the freezer, when everyone thinks there are no "sweets"!! Also allows you to make several different kinds for the holidays. Note..you do not even have to defrost them, they come out perfect, ready to eat!! The recipe I use is made with oil, don't know if that affects the freeze process or not.

[mochi mochi]

Thank you for this link! By far, this is the best biscotti ever.

[ali patts]

the gingerbread ones are lovely with some pecans thrown in to the mix!