Recipe#8029
Title: Biscotti 08
From: waring@infomail.com (Sam Waring)Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes
Subject: COLLECTION: Biscotti PT 1/3
Date: 12 Apr 1994 15:17:00 -0400
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Message-ID: <765849626.AA01086@ima.infomail.com>
COLLECTION: Biscotti PT 1/3
Biscotti NotesBiscotti, whose name really means twice-cooked, are to Italy what
chocolate chip cookies are to the U.S.
While the biscotti are found nearly everywhere in Italy, the flavorings
vary tremendously. Anise is a classic, and so is almond, but you'll
often find hazelnut, walnut or pine nut, and sometimes candied fruit as
well. You occasionally will find savory biscotti, made from diagonally
sliced country bread, seasoned with olive oil, garlic and herbs - much
like a delicious crouton.
The twice-baked cookie is simple to make. The first step is preparing a
simple dough and forming it into a loaf. After a preliminary light
baking, the firm once, they emerge from the oven toasty.
Once cooled, they're crisp and crunchy. They are better the next day
and keep nearly forever in a moisture-proof container, ever ready for
coffee or teatime or a solitary afternoon indulgence.
In Sweden, the rusk is made with half rye flour, half all-purpose flour,
and the dough is moistened with orange juice. In Morocco, the cookies
are scented with rosewater or orange flower water; in Portugal, with
port or Madeira.
From: shelley.rodgers@f202.n161.z1.fidonet.org (Shelley Rodgers)
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Title: Decadent Whipped Cream & Biscotti
Keywords: dessert
Prepare a simple syrup by bringing 2 parts of water and 1 part sugar to
a boil.
Remove from heat and add flavoring. Rosewater (to taste) for a Middle
Eastern accent or ground ginger (and use the ginger biscuits) for a
spicier dish or choose almond syrup or maple syrup or a good shot of
brandy.
Place as many biscotti as desired in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Spoon
a little of the hot syrup over the biscotti. You will use approximately
1 Tbsp per cookie. Let soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whip some cream. You'll want about 1 Tbsp per cookie. By
the time the cream is whipped, the biscotti should be softened.
Drain off any excess syrup and spoon the cream onto the soaked cookies.
Serve immediately. (Good, too, the next day when it's soggy). Fresh
fruit such as strawberries or cherries are a wonderful foil against the
dessert's sweet richness.
From: shelley.rodgers@f202.n161.z1.fidonet.org (Shelley Rodgers)
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Title: TIERED BISCOTTI TREE
Categories: Desserts
Yield: 1 tree
1 1/2 c slivered almonds
3/4 c butter/margarine, at room temperature
1 c sugar
1 T grated orange peel
4 lg eggs
1 ts vanilla
4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
4 1/2 ts baking powder
1/2 ts salt
1/2 ts ground cinnamon
1/4 ts ground cloves
1/4 ts ground coriander
1/4 ts ground cinnamon
MMMMM-------------------------MARMALADE ICING-----------------------------
3/4 c orange marmalade
1 lb Sugar, powdered
1 T Grand Marnier or orange juice
Constructed from baked biscotti dough, the cookie tree is an edible
centerpiece.
Place almonds in a 8 to 9 inch pan. Bake in a 350~ oven, shaking often,
until golden, about 15 minutes; cool.
In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and orange peel until fluffy. Add
eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Combine 4-1/2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves,
coriander, nutmeg and nuts; add to butter mixture and stir to blend
thoroughly.
Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. On a well-floured board, pat each
piece into an evenly thick triangle that measures 9 inches across base,
2 inches across top and 12 inches on each side. Make edges neat by
pressing with a ruler. Carefully transfer each triangle with wide
spatulas to an oiled 12x15 inch baking sheet. Bake in a 350~ oven for
15 minutes; triangles can wait for oven space.
Remove from oven; cut crosswise (NOT diagonally) into slices exactly 5/8
inch wide, using a long knife. Tip slices onto a cut side. Bake until
golden brown, about 20 minutes; turn cookies over once while baking.
Cool on reacks. If made ahead, package airtight up until next day or
freeze.
To build the tree, pipe (using a 1/4 inch tip) or spread a little
frosting on 1 side of each of the longest cookies. Lay icing-side down
on a flat platter, tips touching, to form a triangle. Pip or spread
icing down center of each cookie on plate. Stack the 3 next-longest
cookies on the first, inverting position of the triangle (looking down
from the top, it will look like a Star of David). Build tree, using the
next-smallest cookie trio for each level and cementing with icing. If
you like, pipe icing to drip over the edge of the cookies. Decorate top
with holly.
Let guests lift off cookies to eat. If made ahead or to protect from
dust, seal in plastic wrap; cookies stay fresh up to 4 days, depending
on moisture in air. Kept longer, they hold their shape but get stale.
Icing: Smoothly mix together 3/4 cp orange marmalade, 1 box (1 lb) or 4
cups sifted powder and 1 Tablespoon orange-flavor liqueur or orange
juice. If icing thickens as you work, stir in a little more orange
juice.
Title: BISCOTTI
Categories: desserts, cookies, Italian
Yield: 36 cookies
1 3/4 c Flour
1/2 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Baking soda
1/8 ts Salt
1/2 c Butter, sweet; softened
1 c Sugar
2 Egg
1 T Lemon peel; grated
1 1/2 t Vanilla extract
1/2 ts Almond extract
1 1/2 c Pine nuts
2 ts Anise seed (crushed)
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Cream
margarine, add sugar, beat in eggs one at a time until light. Add flour
mixture and blend well. Blend in lemon peel and vanilla and almond
extracts. Mix in pine nuts and anise seed. Mix until just blended.
Cover dough and chill about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 2 baking sheets. Divide dough
into 4 pieces. Flour hands and roll each piece into 1 1/2 inch round
log. DOUGH IS STICKY. Put 2 logs on each baking sheet - spaced about 4
inches apart. Bake until tops are lightly browned or about 18 minutes.
Cool slightly on baking sheets.
Transfer logs to a cutting board. Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick
slices. Put cut side down on baking sheet. Bake about another 10
minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Title: HAZELNUT BISCOTTI
Categories: Desserts
Yield: 36 cookies
1 c hazelnuts (about 4 oz)
1/4 lb butter, unsalted, room temp
1 c sugar
1 lg lemon, grated zest of
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 c all purpose flour, plus 2 Tbsp
1 ts baking powder
1/4 ts salt
I just made this recipe once, and I substituted toasted sliced almonds
for the hazelnuts. It was really good.
Preheat oven to 350-F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast
in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant. Place the nuts in a
dish towel and rub them together to remove some of the skin. Coarsely
chop the hazelnuts and set aside.
In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter at
medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and
beat until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat
in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, toss the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add
the flour mixture to the butter, beating on low speed until a smooth
dough forms. Using a wooden spoon, work in the hazelnuts until evenly
distributed.
Divide the dough in half in the bowl. With lightly floured hands, form
the dough into two 10-by-2 inch rectangular logs. Place the logs on an
ungreased baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 30 minutes, or
until the logs are set and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let
cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.
Using a serrated knife and a sawing motion, carefully cut the logs into
1/2-inch diagonal slices. discard the end pieces. Arrange the slices,
cut sides down and close together, on 2 baking sheets. Bake the biscotti
on the top and middle racks of the oven for 8 to 9 minutes, or until
lightly browned. Turn the biscotti over, switch the position of the
baking sheets and continue baking until lightly browned on the other
side, about 9 minutes longer. Let the biscotti cool completely on the
baking sheets.
Title: BISCOTTI CHEZ PANISSE
Categories: Italian, cookies
Yield: 36 cookies
3/4 c Walnuts
8 T Butter, sweet; softened
3/4 c Sugar
2 Eggs
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 T Cognac or brandy
2 c Flour; plus 2 T
1 1/2 ts Baking powder
1/4 ts Salt
Preheat oven to 350. Toast the walnuts in a baking pan for 5 minutes.
Let cool and chop them coarse. Reduce the oven to 325. Cream the butter
with the sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and mix well. Add the
vanilla and Cognac. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking
powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture with the chopped nuts. Stir
just until combined. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into
cylinders about 1 1/2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Place on a baking
sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart and bake for about 25 minutes, until
lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5
minutes.
Carefully remove the cylinders to a cutting board. Slice the cookies
about 1/2 inch wide on the diagonal. Return them to the baking sheet,
the cut surfaces down. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the tops are lightly
browned. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
NOTE: It is also delicious to add about 2 teaspoons of anise seed to the
dough!
Title: GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI
Categories: Cookies
Yield: 50 servings
1 c Almonds, blanched
3/4 c Sugar
1/4 lb Butter
1/2 c Molasses, dark
1/4 c Ginger, fresh; minced
3 Egg
3 c Flour
1/2 T Baking powder
1 T Cinnamon, ground
1 t Nutmeg, ground
1/2 t Cloves, ground
1/2 t Allspice, ground
Place almonds in a 8 to 9 inch square pan. Bake in a 350 F. oven until
golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool, coarsely chop, and set aside.
In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, molasses, and
ginger until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each
addition.
In a bowl, stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice
and almonds. Add to egg mixture; stir to blend. On two greased 12x15
inch baking sheets, use well-floured hands to pat dough into 4 flat
loaves, spacing them evenly on sheets; each loaf should be about 1/2
inch thick, 2 inches wide and the length of the baking sheet. Bake in a
350 F. oven until browned at edges and springy to touch, about 25
minutes; switch positions of pans halfway through baking.
Let loaves stand on baking sheets until cool to touch, then cut into
long, 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices. On baking sheets, arrange slices
close together with a cut side down. Return to oven and bake at 350 F.
until cookies are brown, 15 to 18 minutes longer; switch positions of
pans halfway through baking.
Transfer biscotti to racks and let cool completely. Serve, or store
airtight up to 1 month; freeze for longer storage.
Title: GOLDEN BISCOTTI (MANDELBRT)
Categories: Cookies
Yield: 36 servings
2 c Flour
1/4 t Baking soda
1 t Baking powder
1/4 t Salt
2/3 c Sugar
5 t Orange zest; finely chopped*
2 Egg
1/4 c Oil
1 1/2 t Vanilla extract
1/2 t Almond extract
1 2/3 c Almonds, unblanched sliced
1/3 c Almonds, unblanched whole
MMMMM--------------------------TOPPING-------------------------------
2 T Sugar
1/8 t Cinnamon, ground
1 Egg white
*Remove zest from orange in lengthwise strips with a vegetable peeler,
and chop finely.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Food Processor Method: In a medium bowl, sift together all but 1/4 c of
the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and whisk to
mix it well.
In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugar and orange
zest until the zest is finely minced. Add the eggs and process for
about 30 seconds or until thoroughly blended. Scrape the sides of the
bowl.
With the motor running, add the oil and extracts and process until
blended. Add the sliced almonds and process until finely chopped. Add
the flour mixture and process for about 7 seconds or until the flour is
almost incorporated. (There will be some flour clinging to the sides of
the work bowl. Do not overprocess as the dough will be too stiff to
incorporate the flour completely in the processor.)
Electric Mixer Method: Finely grate the orange zest. Finely chop the
sliced almonds. Place them both in a medium bowl. Sift together all
but 1/4 cup of the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt
and add to the nuts and zest. Whisk together to mix them well. In a
large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs for several minutes, until
very thick and pale in color. With the mixer at medium speed, beat in
the oil and extracts. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture.
For both methods: Scrape the dough (including any flour from the work
bowl) onto a lightly flour counter and knead the dough, adding the
remaining 1/4 c flour to form a soft, non-sticky dough.
Shape the dough into two 2-inch wide cylinders. Each will be about 7
1/2 inches long. Line up the whole almonds lengthwise in rows along the
dough and press them well into the dough. With the palms of your hands,
roll the cylinders on the counter, enclosing the almonds and maintaining
the 2-inch diameters of the cylinders. Place the cylinders 2 inches
apart on a cookie sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and
cinnamon for the topping. Beat the egg white. Brush the cylinders
lightly with the beaten egg white and sprinkle them with the cinnamon
topping.
Bake on the upper rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until lightly
browned and very firm.
Cool the cylinders on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until just
warm. Slip them off the sheet and onto a counter. With a serrated
knife, cut diagonal 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices closely together
on lightly buttered cookie sheets.
Toast the slices for about 8 minutes. Using a small metal spatula,
turn them and bake for another 8 minutes or until golden brown. For
even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to
back halfway through the baking period. [I NEVER do this, because I
think you lose too much of your heat when you open the door to do it,
so you're no longer baking at the correct temperature. --Leti] Use
a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to transfer the
cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Keeps several
months.
Smart cookie hints:
* Unbleached flour has more gluten-forming proteins, which help to hold
the almonds in the dough and make the dough less fragile.
* When the almonds are placed lengthwise, they do not fall out of the
baked dough as readily and are more attractive when sliced.
* Biscotti can be tricky to cut into neat slices. If the cylinders are
too hot or completely cold, the slices tend to break. When cutting the
biscotti, hold the cylinder near the end being sliced and press it
gently on top. If it is still crumbly, try popping it in the oven for
another 5 minutes. Using coarsely chopped almonds instead of whole
almonds is another solution, but they are less dramatic in appearance.
Title: HAZELNUT BISCOTTI
Categories: Cookies
Yield: 36 servings
1 c Hazelnuts
1/2 c Butter, sweet
1 c Sugar
Lemon zest
2 Egg
1 t Vanilla extract
2 c Flour, plus 2 tbsp
1 t Baking powder
1/4 t Salt
Preheat oven to 350-F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast
in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant. Place the nuts in a
dish towel and rub them together to remove some of the skin. Coarsely
chop the hazelnuts and set aside.
In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter at
medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and
beat until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat
in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, toss the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add
the flour mixture to the butter, beating on low speed until a smooth
dough forms. Using a wooden spoon, work in the hazelnuts until evenly
distributed.
Divide the dough in half in the bowl. With lightly floured hands, form
the dough into two 10-by-2 inch rectangular logs. Place the logs on an
ungreased baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 30 minutes, or
until the logs are set and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let
cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.
Using a serrated knife and a sawing motion, carefully cut the logs into
1/2-inch diagonal slices. discard the end pieces. Arrange the slices,
cut sides down and close together, on 2 baking sheets. Bake the biscotti
on the top and middle racks of the oven for 8 to 9 minutes, or until
lightly browned. Turn the biscotti over, switch the position of the
baking sheets and continue baking until lightly browned on the other
side, about 9 minutes longer. Let the biscotti cool completely on the
baking sheets.
Title: PORTUGUESE BISCOTTI
Categories: Cookies
Yield: 16 servings
1 c Sugar
1/2 c Butter
1 T Lemon zest
1/4 c Lemon juice
3 Egg
3 c Flour
In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of the sugar and butter
until well blended. Add lemon peel and juice; mix to blend. Beat in
eggs, 1 at a time, until smooth. Gradually stir in 3 cups of the flour,
mixing well. cover and chill until dough is firm enough to handle
easily, at least 3 hours or as long as 2 days. For easier handling,
chill the dough before you form the ring-shaped cookies. Divide dough in
half. Cover and chill 1 portion. Divide other half into 8 equal
pieces. With floured fingers, roll each piece on a lightly floured
board to make a 10-inch rope. Overlap ends of each rope slightly to
form a ring. Place rings about 1 inch apart on a greased 14x17 inch
baking sheet. Sprinkle light with sugar. Bake in a 300 F. oven until
golden, 35-40 minutes. Remove cookies from pans and let cool completely
on racks. Repeat with remaining dough. Serve or store airtight up to 10
days.
Title: WALNUT-PEPPER BISCOTTI
Categories: Cookies
Yield: 30 servings
1 3/4 c Flour
1/2 t Baking soda
1/2 t Baking powder
1/8 t Salt
1/2 T Pepper, black
1/2 c Butter
1 c Sugar
2 Egg
2 t Orange peel; grated
1 1/2 t Vanilla extract
1/4 t Almond extract
1 1/2 c Walnuts; lightly toasted
-& chopped
Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Mix in pepper. Using
electric mixer, cream butter in another bowl until light. Gradually add
sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. Mix in orange
peel and vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in walnuts. Add dry
ingredients and mix just until blended. Cover dough with plastic wrap
and refrigerate until well chilled. (Can be prepared one day ahead.)
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 2 baking sheets. Divide dough into
3 pieces. Using lightly floured hands, roll each piece into 1 1/2 inch
diameter log on lightly floured surface. Arrange 2 logs on one sheet,
spacing 5 inches apart. Arrange third log on second sheet. Bake until
logs are light brown, about 20 minutes (logs will spread during baking).
Cool slightly on pan. Cut logs crosswise on diagonal into 3/4 inch wide
slices. Turn cut side down on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown,
about 15 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool. Store in airtight
container.
Title: HONEY OAT BISCOTTI
Categories: Cookies
Yield: 36 servings
1/2 c Butter
3/4 c Honey
2 Egg
1 t Vanilla
2 c Flour
3 t Cinnamon, ground
1 t Baking powder
1/2 t Baking soda
1/2 t Salt
2 c Oats, rolled
1/2 c Nuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 375 F. (will be turned down to 300 F. for second
baking.) Cream butter. Beat in honey, eggs and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix
well. St into butter mixture. Stir in oats and nuts.
On greased baking sheet, shape dough into 2 (10x3x1-inch) logs. Bake
at 37 F. for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool 5
minurtes; remove to cutting board. Cut each log into 1/2-inch
strips; place on cookie sheet. B at 300 F., 25-30 minutes or until
crisp throughout strip.
Per serving: 102 calories, 1.9 gm protein, 14.6 gm carbohydrate, 4.4
gm fat; 22 ea 2 mg cholesterol, 78 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 38
percent.
Title: BISCOTTI DI PRATTO
Categories: Breads, Italian
Yield: 6 dozen
1/4 c Almonds, blanched
3/4 c Almonds, whole unblanched
4 Eggs, divided
1 ts Vanilla
1/4 ts Almond extract
2 1/4 c Flour
1 c Sugar, white
1 ts Baking soda
1 pn Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
On a baking sheet, roast blanched and unblanched almonds until
blanched almonds start to brown, shaking pan occasionally; 5 to 8
minutes. Remove blanched almonds, place in blender container and
grind until it turns to powder. Set aside. Meanwhile, return whole
almonds to oven 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove and chop whole almonds
roughly with knife, leaving large chunks. Set aside. Turn oven down
to 300 degrees. Grease baking sheet & dust with flour; set aside.
In a small bowl, beat 3 eggs, vanilla & extract. In large bowl, mix
together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and ground almonds.
Make a well in the center and add the eggs, blending to gradually
incor- porate all of flour mixture. You should have a stiff dough.
If it is too stiff to hold together, add a little water. Add the
crushed almonds and knead them evenly into the dough. Divide dough
into 3 portions. Form each into a long log, rounded or slightly oval
(about 1 1/2 inches in dia- meter). It will flatten as it bakes.
Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 45 - 50 minutes. Remove from
oven and let rest 5 minutes. Turn oven down to 275 degrees. With a
serrated knife, cut logs into 3/4" slices. (NOTE: Unlike slicing a
loaf of bread, straight across its width, cut biscotti on a 45 degree
angle.) Lay slices flat on 2 baking sheets. Return to oven for 20 -
25 minutes, turning slices 1/2 way through baking time. Remove from
oven; allow to cool completely before sealing in containers. They
will stay fresh up to 1 month.
Title: ALMOND-ORANGE BISCOTTI
Categories: Cookies
Yield: 6 servings
2 1/4 c Flour
1 1/4 c Sugar
1 pn Salt
3 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 T Oil
1/4 ts Almond extract
Finely grated zest of 1
-orange
1/2 c Chopped almonds
2 ts Baking powder
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease and flour cookie sheet.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make
a well in the center of the mixture; add the remaining ingredients
and mix well. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into
flat-bottomed cylinders (1-inch high x 2 1/2-inches wide x 8-inches
long). Bake 30-35 minutes or until brown on top. Remove from oven
and cool slightly. Cut into 3/4-inch slices. Return to oven with
cut side down for 15 minutes or until slices are brown. Remove from
oven and cool on racks.
Title: ALMOND BISCOTTI
Categories: desserts, cookies
Yield: 30 cookies
1 c Sugar
1/2 c Butter, sweet; melted
3 T Brandy
1 ts Vanilla
1 ts Almond extract
1 c Almonds, unsalted; chopped
3 Eggs
2 1/2 c Flour
1/2 T Baking powder
1/4 ts Salt
Preheat oven to 350~. Mix sugar with butter, brandy, vanilla, almond
extract, nuts and eggs. Mix well.
Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Form into a long loaf (or
loaves), place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until
firm and softly cakelike. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
When cool enough to handle, slice into 1/2 inch diagonal slices and
return to cookie sheet. Bake for 15-25 miutes, turning once, until both
sides are brown-flecked and toasted. Cool thoroughly and store in an
airtight jar.
Makes 2-3 dozen.
Variation 1 (Mandlebrot): increase sugar to 1-1/4 cups. Diced dried
apricots may by added.
Variation 2: for a clasic anise-flavored biscotto, substitute Pernod,
Ouzo or Anisette for the brandy and omit the almond extract. Several
tablespoons of anise seeds may be added for additional oomph.
Variation 3 (Hazelnut biscotti): use hazelnuts in place of almonds. A
hazelnut liqueur may be used instead of brandy. Omit the almond extract.
Variation 4 (Mediterranean biscotti): use rosewater instead of brandy.
Substitute unsalted pistachio nuts for the almonds, and add 1/4 - 1/2
cup diced figs to the dough.
Variation 5 (Ginger-flavored biscotti): to the basic dough, add 1 Tbsp
powdered ginger, a generous dash of cloves and cinnamon, 1 or 2 Tbsp of
candied ginger and 1/4 cup raisins, if desired. Omit the almond
extract.
Variation 6 (Paximatha): this Greek rusk dates back to the 5th century,
virtually unchanged. Substiture 1/2 to 3/4 cup toasted sesame seeds for
the almonds. Omit the almond extact and flavor the dough with 1 tsp
cinnamon and 1/2 tsp cloves.
Variation 7 (Fekkas): a Moroccon twice-baked cookie. Substitute orange
flower water for the brandy.
Variation 8; Pine nuts may be used instead of almonds, though the
richness may be less desirable than the crunch of the toasted almonds.
Candied fruits, too, may be added, 1/4 to 1/2 cup assorted fruits
blended into the dough before baking.
Variation 9 (Chocolate Dipped): melt 1/2 pound semi-sweet chocolate in
the top of a double boiler over just simmering water. If it "seizes" or
"tightens", add 2 Tbsp of unsalted buter and it should smooth out again.
Dip only one side of each cookie (the chocolate won't seal in the
moisture that way).