1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, sweet, melted
3 tbsp brandy
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup almonds, unsalted, chopped
3 eggs
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Directions
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).
Servings: 30 cookies
Almond Biscotti Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Biscotti; Cookie; Italian; Nut
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to track the history of written cooking instructions back into distant history, in fact as far back as the ancient Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. Having said that, mostly, these ancient records were just primitive hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing meals.
Later on, in The time of the roman empire 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote a number of documents describing recipes enjoyed by his fellow Romans. In his works, he recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into starters, main meal and desserts, something that is very familiar to us today. Aspicius recounts how the Roman cooks made use of a good variety of herbs and spices, including a few you will know for example bay, fennel and parsley. Later, in the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought back many foods and spices from the East, such as parsley and basil. The introduction of these new foods and spices was responsible for an eruption in books on cookery, some of which are now in private libraries. By the time we get to the 1900s, cook books were in high demand, as a result of increased literacy, people having more spare time and having more money. |
We hope you enjoy this Almond Biscotti recipe.
