2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 tsp baking powder
Directions
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.
Servings: 6 servings
Almond-Orange Biscotti Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Biscotti; Cookie; Fruit; Italian; Nut
The History of Recipes
Historians have traced the existence of recipes back into ancient history, in fact as far back as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and possibly even further than that. However, sadly, these early cook books were just very basic hieroglyphic instructions for food preparation.
Fascinatingly, the most ancient recipe found, according to experts is a collection of tablets in the Sumerian language which show the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel exhilarated. As we move into Roman times around 25BC a man called Apicius assembled a few documents which described recipes prepared by the Romans. He describes how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into hors d`oeuvres, entrees and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Aspicius also informs us how the chefs of Roman times used a wide range of spices and herbs, including a few that will be familiar to modern chefs such as basil, rue and parsley. Moving on, there are two interesting cookery books published in the 14th Century - a recipe book published under the title `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary titled `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are a little misleading though, these books are nothing to do with the curry that is served today, but instead recipes for the types of meals prepared for the rich and powerful of those days. Later, in the 15th century, the Crusaders brought back many new foods and spices from Arab cooking, such as coriander, parsley, and basil. The introduction of these new tastes caused an outbreak in manuscripts on food, the majority of which are kept safe in private libraries. During the following few centuries, the powerful families of the West tried to lay on the most extravagent banquests, and as a consequence, cooks and their recipes were highly sought after. Notwithstanding that, it wasn`t until the 1800s that formal cookery and cookery books became popular. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, dedicated their lives to assembling, testing, and publishing the recipes that were being prepared for the better households. By the advent of the 1900s, recipe books are increasing in popularity as a result of more people being able to read, people having more free time and being a little richer. |
We hope you enjoy this Almond Orange Biscotti recipe.
