I seem to be really bad at writing a blog. Either that or it's the fact that my life has been pretty busy with starting a full-time job and
little to no time left for cooking and baking that has kept me from posting. As you might guess, it’s the
latter.
Lucikly, I have a month off at the moment in between two
apprenticeships and it allowed me to get back on the wagon again.
I already introduced you to Cynthia Barcomi and her recipes
a while ago. She published a new cookbook, called „Cookies“ earlier this year
and I’ve been dying to get my hands on these recipes. One recipe that instantly
intrigued me was this one for Honey Lemon Biscotti with Pitachios. Bicotti or
Cantuccini as they’re often called as well, are easy to make and serve as great
presents because they are great to pack and send and quite robust. Mine will be
part of a gift to my boyfriend’s dad on his birthday.
Don't let the steps fool you. This recipe is super easy and fool-proof. You can't go wrong.
Here it is:
100g (3.5 oz) pistachios, peeled
280g (9.8 oz; a little less than 2 cups) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
50ml (1/4 cup) mild olive oil (search for those labeled "mild", not "extra
85g (3 oz; good 1/3 cup) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (60g; 2.1 oz) honey
1) Preheat the oven to 175°C (°F). Line a tray with a baking
sheet. Roast the pistachios in the oven for 6 minutes, then set aside to cool.
2) In a bowl, mix the flour,
baking powder, baking soda and salt. Roughly chop the pistachios.
3) In a second bowl, using a hand mixer or kitchen machine,
mix the sugar, olive oil and lemon zest.
Add the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and
honey and mix again until combined.
4) Mix dry and wet ingredients until combined. Add the
pistachios and stir until evenly distributed.
5) Divide the dough into three parts. Put them on the baking
sheet horizontally and spread into a rectangular loaf of ca. 22 x 4 cm using
your (wet) hands.
6) Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden. Leave to cool on the
tray.
7) Reduce oven temperature to 160°C (°F). Once cooled so you
can handle the loafs, cut them into 1cm (1/2 inch) slices. Put the slices cut-side
up on the baking tray.
8) Bake for 8 minutes, then turn the biscotti and bake the
other side for 8 more minutes until golden.
9) Leave on the tray to cool.
Yield: about 45 biscotti
Active preparation time: 20 minutes
total preparation time: 1 hour
I had to try one biscotti straight from the oven – and some
crumbs while cutting. These biscotti have a ton of bright lemon flavour, a hint
of sweetness from the honey and added crunch from the pistachios. The flavour
is really complex and surprising. I just love these. Imagine them with a cup of
perfect foamy cappucino on the side for dunking while sunshine is shining
through your windows – perfection.
Have fun trying and let these biscotti brighten your day!
