2 oz almonds, blanched
6 oz almonds, unblanched
4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground saffron
1 tsp (scant) baking soda
1 extra-large egg white
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375F. Place both the blanched and unblanched
almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in the preheated oven for 15
minutes, until golden brown. Grind 4 ounces of mixed blanched and
unblanched almonds very fine, then cut the remaining toasted almonds
into two or three pieces each. Place the flour on a pasta board in a
mound and make a well in the center. Put the sugar and eggs in the
well. Mix the sugar and eggs together well, then add the salt,
saffron, and baking soda. Mix thoroughly and when all the ingredients
in the well are well integrated, incorporate the flour little by
little, until all but about 2 tablespoons is incorporated. Set the
leftover flour aside. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes, then add
the very finely ground almonds and the almond pieces. Knead for 2 to
3 minutes more, incorporating the remaining flour. Divide the dough
into 8 pieces. With your hands, shape each piece into a long, thin
roll about 3/4 inch in diameter, then place, widely apart on a
buttered and floured cookie sheet. Beat the egg white slightly in a
small bowl and lightly coat the tops of the 8 rolls with it, using a
pastry brush, then put the baking sheet into the preheated oven for
18 to 20 minutes. Remove the rolls from the oven (they will expand in
size sideways) and cut them with a long slicing knife at a 45-degree
angle every 3/4 inch to get the shape required for this type of
little cookie, or biscotti. Place the biscotti back in the oven, this
time at 275F, for 35 to 45 minutes. They will be very dry. NOTE:
These cookies are much better eaten after 2 or 3 days, when they have
softened a little; keep them in a paper bag. If you wish to keep them
indefinitely, transfer after a week to a jar or can. Serves 8 to 10.
Servings: 8 servings
Biscotti Di Prato (Little Almond Cookies) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Biscotti; Cookie; Italian; Nut; Pasta
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as a concept can be tracked way back into distant history, certainly as far as the early Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. Interesting though that maybe, in the main part, these early records were just basic pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing food.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe found, according to Professor Solomon Katz, are some ancient tablets in the Sumerian language describing the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made drinkers feel exhilarated and blissful. Later on, in The time of the romans 25BC a roman called Apicius assembled a few documents detailing recipes prepared by wealthy Romans. In his scrolls, Apicius describes how the roman meals were separated into starters, main course and desserts, something we still use today. He also informs us how the cooks of his times were skilled in the use of many aromatic flavours, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks for example basil, rue and parsley. Moving our culinary historical trip onwards, there were a couple of cookery books dating from the fourteenth century - one book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another named `Curye on Inglish`. Although the titles sound familiar, they are not about the indian curry that is familiar to us all today, but rather accounts of the types of food enjoyed by the rich and powerful of the period. Later on, in the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back a variety of foods, spices and herbs from the Middle-East, including spices like coriander, basil and rosemary. These new spices and herbs was responsible for a torrent in recipe books, most of which still exist in private cookery archives. Over the succeeding few centuries, the upper-class families of Wesstern Europe competed to lay on the most exotic banquets, and as a result the best chefs and their recipes were greatly in demand. Even so, it was during the nineteenth century that cookery and recipe books became really popular. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the US, spent years to collating, trying out, and publishing recipes common in their social group. When we get to the 20th century, cookery publications were highly popular due to increased literacy, people having increased free time and being a little richer. |
We hope you enjoy this Biscotti Di Prato (Little Almond Cookies) recipe.
