Almond & Date Biscotti
A dark roasted coffee has no better companion that a great crispy Biscotti. I love the way that they soak up the coffee flavor combining with the sweetness of these great Italian cookies. Making them at home is not only easy but satisfying because they are so easy to customize.
This recipe was found on Martha Stewart's site, here.
What makes these interesting is the combination of flavors- the spice of anise, the sweetness of chopped dates, and the crunch of almonds, topped with citrus notes from Orange Oil. And to think I was going to coat these in dark chocolate but didn't want to go overboard.
You Will Need:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure orange extract
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 1 teaspoon anise seed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, andsalt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time until well combined; beat in orange extract and zest. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. Beat in dates, almonds, and anise.
Transfer to prepared baking sheet; using your hands, pat into a slightly flattened log, about 15 by 4 inches. Bake until firm and lightly browned, and top is slightly cracked, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 15 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut log crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange on a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until slices are just turning brown around the edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
