The Perfect Biscotti

I’ve described my (seemingly lifelong) search for The Perfect Cheesecake at great length. Little did I know that I have also been searching for The Perfect Biscotti.

For a long time, I didn’t like biscotti. (The same goes for yogurt, coffee, and pizza—don’t ask.) It was something about the texture (also a paramount issue when it comes to cheesecake). I didn’t like how unbelievably crunchy and hard they were. I know it seems strange to complain about a quality that a specific food is known for. Sticking with the cheesecake comparison, it’s like complaining that a slice is too creamy (impossible, if you ask me).
              
Nevertheless, I only really started to appreciate biscotti a few years ago when I discovered that they are the perfect accompaniment to various hot beverages (especially a cup of good, strong coffee). When dunked for just a few seconds, they soften ever so slightly and their crunchiness actually becomes one of their strongest assets.
              
Like my hunt for the perfect plain cheesecake, I’ve never found a plain biscotti recipe that merited the description of “perfect.” Most biscotti contain a mixture of add-ins, from dried fruit and nuts to chocolate. Not that there’s anything wrong with these embellishements, but sometimes I want a biscotti cookie base that is flavorful enough without the extras. So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered my ideal biscotti when I was least expecting it—it’s actually from a healthy cooking source.
              
Although I strive to eat healthfully for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, when dessert comes around, I believe that it’s important to indulge in the good stuff (in moderation). And it definitely still has to taste good.
              
Whole wheat flour gives these biscotti a deliciously nutty, almost buttery flavor and a coarser texture that enhances their crunch. I don’t use whole wheat flour much in my baking, but I really think whole wheat is the key to how delicious these cookies are. I added blood orange zest to them because I was serving them with blood orange sorbet (from Ciao Bella – OMG, delicious); the zest added a subtle citrus flavor that complemented the earthier butter, sugar, flour flavor combination at play.

Now that I finally have my Perfect Biscotti in the books, I think it’s time to embark upon my next Perfect Recipe quest. Thoughts? I’m leaning toward chocolate chip cookies. This could be dangerous….

The Perfect Biscotti
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Below is the full recipe, which should make about 30 cookies. I halved the recipe easily because I didn't want to make too many cookies, so I only formed one log of dough. The dough is pretty sticky, so when forming the logs I find it easiest to wet my hands a little as opposed to flouring them, which I think is messier. Although I love the pure flavor of these cookies, I think they would take well to additions like nuts, dried fruits, and spices. Add 3/4 cup of toasted chopped nuts (such as pecans, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts) or dried fruits (such as cherries, cranberries, or raisins), or even 1/2 teaspoon spices (such as cinnamon or nutmeg).

Yield: about 30 cookies

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon blood orange zest (about 2 oranges)

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the bowl and beaters as necessary. Beat in the vanilla and zest. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.

Using your hands, divide the dough in half. Transfer each half to the parchment-lined baking sheet and form into two logs, each about 13 by 2 inches. Make sure that the two logs are spaced about 3 inches apart. The dough is pretty sticky, so I usually wet my hands slightly to keep it from sticking everywhere.

Bake the biscotti until golden, about 35 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through the baking. Let the loaves cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs on a diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices. Lay the slices, cut-side down, on the baking sheet and continue baking for 15 minutes, flipping the biscotti onto their other side halfway through baking. The biscotti should be crisp and golden brown.

Allow the biscotti to cool for about an hour before transferring to an airtight container. The biscotti will keep, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, for 2 to 3 weeks.

Biscotti for Winter

Once upon a time I didn't like yogurt, stinky cheese, and pizza (gasp!). Thankfully, I've come to my senses and now enjoy all of these things, although the jury's still out on arugula, grapefruit, and cheese straws.

But today is all about biscotti, a cookie that I once disliked but has rapidly become not only my favorite type of cookie to bake but also my favorite to eat. On the baking side of things, I love the ease with which biscotti come together. There's no complicated mixing technique and a single batch makes a few dozen cookies in about an hour.

Of course, I enjoy eating them most of all. I love the crunchy texture of biscotti. I recently started using recipes that require little to no butter or oil, which is traditional in Italian cuisine (usually eggs are the sole source of fat). The lack of fat in the dough prevents the cookies from becoming too soft as they sit out, and I think it also helps them stay fresh-tasting for a long time. (Such is another great thing about biscotti: they are wonderful candidates for make-ahead baking, which is always a plus during the busy holiday season.) If you are normally deterred from biscotti because of their crunchier texture, know that these are definitely not tooth-shattering hard; they will soften up just enough after a brief dip into a hot cup of coffee (or tea, if you're into that sort of thing).
Finally, I absolutely love the infinite number of ways that you can change up the flavor of the biscotti. Because Christmas was two weeks ago, I'm opting to call this specific rendition "winter" biscotti because the combination of flavors - tart/sweet cranberries, slightly salty pistachios, and vanilla-y white chocolate - seem the perfect antidote to all this cold weather (a white Christmas? Seriously?). Never mind that the shades of red, green, and white seem especially suited to this time of year.

The real stars of this biscotti though, aside from the wonderful variation of textures from the different mix-ins, are the almond extract and white chocolate chips. The former is subtle yet just strong enough to attract your attention. I'm not sure how else to describe its contribution to the cookie's flavor besides saying "nutty," but if you love the flavor of almonds then you'll love what the almond extract brings to the party.
As for the white chocolate, I'm reminded of a blog post David Lebovitz did a year of so ago about caramelized white chocolate. I know some people don't like the sweet flavor of white chocolate, but it works tremendously in this cookie to balance out the tart cranberries and naturally salty pistachios. Instead of just a one-note sweetness, the heat from the oven browns the white chocolate just enough to give it a warm, almost caramel flavor. It's sort of like a cross between a toasted marshmallow and the burnt sugar topping on creme brulee. All accented with vanilla. Trust me, it's delicious.

Really, the only mistake I made with these cookies was not making enough. Truly, they were all gone a week ago. (We did give some away, but still....) That is practically unheard of in our house. I recall because a time in the not-so-distant past when I discovered a tin of Christmas cookies, stowed away and forgotten, well past the new year. Whatever time of year it is, though, I'm positive you too will fall in love with these cookies.
Cranberry, Pistachio, and White Chocolate Biscotti
Adapted from Bon Appetit

The original recipe called for dried raspberries of dried strawberries. I've never actually seen either of those (outside of freeze-dried strawberries in Special K) and dried cranberries seem more wintry to me anyway. If you like, you can dip the cooled biscotti in melted white or dark chocolate. This is a great base recipe for any dried fruit and nut biscotti. For any other time of year, you could substitute dried figs, raisins, or dried cherries for the cranberries. In place of pistachios, walnuts or pecans would also be delicious.

Yield: 2 to 3 dozen cookies, depending on how thickly you slice the biscotti

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola (or other vegetable) oil
2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3/4 cup shelled, raw, and unsalted pistachios
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicon liner (such as Silpat) or with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar, eggs, oil, and almond extract until well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the pistachios, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips. Make sure to incorporate the add-ins so that they are distributed evenly throughout the dough (especially the dough at the bottom of the bowl).

Divide the dough in half and shape the dough into two logs, each about 12 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 1 inch tall. Space the logs about 3 inches apart. If the dough is sticking to your fingers, wet your fingertips to prevent it from sticking.

Bake the logs for 30 minutes, until slightly browned and just firm to the touch. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Cool the logs on the baking sheet for 10 to 20 minutes. Then, using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into about 1-inch wide slices. (You can also cut the logs into thinner slices; you'll just end up with more cookies.) Turn the biscotti onto their sides (cut-sides down) and bake again for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, carefully flip the biscotti over onto their other sides and continue baking for another 10 minutes, until the biscotti are crisp, firm, and golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet before enjoying.

The cooled biscotti can be stored, at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks (if they last that long).

Strawberry Basil Frozen Yogurt with Lemon Nut Biscotti

Okay, I admit it. I spend way too much time online. Like, I should be packing (for college, you know) or doing laundry or researching the books I need for class or doing any number of more productive things than refreshing Facebook and ogling Photograzing and Tastespotting.

Haven't heard of these websites (hopefully you've heard of Facebook, if not then, well...)? Photograzing and Tastespotting are the best thing that ever happened to the Internet.

Since that's not a very great description of the service that these sites offer, let me paint you a little picture. Imagine all the best photographers in one place. Now imagine these photographers are also bloggers. Then imagine that they are food bloggers, not to mention really great cooks. And these really great photographers who are also really great cooks take lots of photos of the delicious things they make and then post the pictures for you to see, with links to their blogs where you can gawk at more yummy meals they've made. Essentially, this is Photograzing and Tastespotting. While Tastespotting is larger than Photograzing (an entity of Serious Eats), they both showcase fabulous food that is appealing to the eyes and, more importantly, the taste buds.

And that is where I found both of these recipes. For my sister's final meal before moving clear across the country, I had to come up with something seriously delicious for dessert. Enter Strawberry Basil Frozen Yogurt and Lemon Biscotti.

Both of these recipes were wonderful. The frozen yogurt has a strong (but not overwhelming) basil flavor that is complemented perfectly by the sweet berries. And the yogurt adds a nice tang to balance out the flavors. My favorite part about the recipe was the ease of its preparation. I'm a huge fan of Philadelphia-style ice creams and frozen yogurts that don't require that fussiness of a French-style custard ice cream.

As for the biscotti, this may be my new favorite biscotti recipe. It was the first biscotti dough I'd ever tried that did not include butter but only eggs. Traditional Italian recipes actually don't include butter at all, and I may begin to do the same. These biscotti are minimalist, save for some lemon zest and chopped nuts, but they have a wonderful sweetness to them with hints of vanilla, citrus, and almond. Alongside the tart yogurt, these are a perfect match and a fun, dressed-up version of cookies and ice cream.

Strawberry Basil Frozen Yogurt
From Dishing Up Delights

This recipe has balsamic vinegar in it, but to be honest I could not detect any sort of balsamic flavor in the final product. However, I love the taste of balsamic with strawberries and basil. I might try a balsamic syrup to pour over the yogurt the next time I make this by combining 2 parts balsamic vinegar and 1 part sugar in a saucepan til it gets nice and drizzly and syrupy. Yum.

Yield: about 1 quart

1 1/2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
6 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
8 ounces strawberries, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

In a large bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and balsamic vinegar until well combined.

In a food processor, pulse the strawberries until pureed. Add the basil and pulse until the basil is chopped but not entirely pureed. You should still see bits of green in the mixture. Add the strawberries to the yogurt mixture and refrigerate for at least an hour until chilled.

Transfer the mixture to the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze for another 2 to 4 hours. Before serving, remove the frozen yogurt from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes or until it is scoopable.

Lemon Nut Biscotti
Adapted from The Ivory Hut

The original recipe used orange instead of lemon, but I thought the lemon flavor would work better with the strawberries and basil than the orange. Nevertheless, this is an extremely adaptable biscotti recipe. You could easily switch up the zest flavor and nut combination. Dried fruits like cranberries or cherries could also be added; other mix-ins like chocolate chips or crystallized ginger would also be delicious. Be creative! On a more technical note, this dough is very sticky. It will inevitably stick to your hands. I baked these on a Silpat baking mat and I suggest you do the same (or invest in some because they are awesome). The original recipe also called for a "scant" cup of sugar. While I really dislike measurements like that ("heaping" is another pet peeve), I ended up using probably what amounted to 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons, or 7/8 of a cup.

Yield: about 24 to 30 cookies, depending on how thickly you slice them.
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon (about 3 to 4 teaspoons)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 scant cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup combined almonds and pecans, toasted and chopped

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half-sheet pan with a silicone baking mat (or with greased parchment paper).

In a small bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. In a larger bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir the wet mixture into the dry, using a spoon first and then using your hands. The dough will be very sticky and tacky. Stir in the nuts.
Transfer half of the dough to the baking sheet and shape into a log approximately 12 inches by 4 inches. Repeat with the other half of the dough, spacing the two logs about 4 inches apart (the logs will spread as they bake so make sure they have room to do so).

Bake for about 50 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the logs (still on the silicone mat or parchment paper) to a cooling rack and cool for about 5 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees.

Transfer the logs back to the baking sheet. Use a serrated knife to slice the logs into about 1-inch thick slices. Turn the slices onto their side (cut-side down) and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and (carefully) flip over the biscotti onto their other side. Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes. The biscotti will be crisp and golden brown when they are done.

Let the biscotti cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container.