BASIC ALMOND BISCOTTI

BASIC ALMOND BISCOTTI

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract 
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched

Instructions

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cornmeal and whisk again to blend.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light, smooth and creamy. Beat in the almond extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. You'll have a soft stick-to-your-fingers dough that will ball up around the paddle or beaters. Scrape down the paddle and bowl, toss in the almonds and mix just to blend.

Scrape half the dough onto one side of the baking sheet. Using your fingers and a rubber spatula or scraper, work the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The log will be more rectangular than domed and bumpy, rough and uneven. Form a second log with the remaining dough on the other side of the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the logs are lightly golden but still soft and springy to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool the logs on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.

If you turned off the oven, bring it back up to 350 degrees F.

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board and, with a long serrated knife, trim the ends and cut the logs into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet--this time standing them up like a marching band--and slide the sheet back into the oven.

Bake the biscotti for another 15 minutes, or until they are golden and firm. Transfer them to racks and cool to room temperature.

Serving: These are good with just about anything--including themselves. Eat one, and you'll want another.

Storing: Because they are dry and they're fine if they get even drier, the biscotti will keep at room temperature, covered or not, for about a week. They can be frozen, but I rarely store them that way--mostly because they rarely last long enough to get wrapped up for long-term storage.

Playing Around

I'll get you started with some suggestions for varying these biscotti, but I know you'll have several of your own--just look in your cupboard for ideas.

Dried Fruit Biscotti: Add about 1/3 cup dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cherries, cranberries, apricots (chopped) or currants to the dough. If you'd like an extra shot of flavor, flame the fruits with a port, kirsch, dark rum or amaretto.

Spiced Biscotti: Whisk some spice into the flour mixture: ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom or even black pepper. For cinnamon and ginger, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon; for cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon; and for black pepper, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Start with the lesser amount, then make to-taste adjustments on the next batch. If you choose to add ginger, you could also add very small pieces of stem ginger in syrup (available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods sections of some supermarkets).

Anisette Biscotti: Many traditional biscotti are flavored with anise, and these can be too. For the best results, grind the aniseed (start with 1 1/2 teaspoons and, if you want, increase or decrease the amount in your next batch) in a food processor or blender with the sugar.

Nutty Biscotti: Substitute walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or chopped macadamia nuts for the almonds, or following the theory that more is merrier, make the biscotti with a combination of nuts.

Lemon or Orange Biscotti: Rub the finely grated zest of 2 lemons or 1 orange into the sugar before beating the butter and sugar together. 

CHRISTMAS COOKIES

CHRISTMAS COOKIES
Makes 4 dozen

1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed

1 egg

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup finely chopped dried figs

1/3 cup finely chopped dates

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup grated coconut

1/2 cup granola

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In an electric mixer with the wire whisk attached, beat butter and brown sugar on low until creamy and smooth, one to two minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about two minutes. Add the figs and dates and beat on high speed until light and creamy, two to three minutes.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly blend flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Add to the butter and sugar mixture and beat on low speed until thoroughly incorporated. Fold in the coconut, granola, pecans, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On buttered cookie sheets, place one tablespoon of cookie batter for each cookie, spacing them about two inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. When done, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

RED VELVET COOKIES with WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

Makes 30

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1-1/2 tablespoons red liquid food coloring

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl to combine.

Beat the butter with the sugars in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Beat in the food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Form the dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each. Place the dough balls at least 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

LINZER COOKIES

Linzer Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen

5 ounces unsalted butter (10 tablespoons), softened

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 large egg yolks

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 toasted, whole, peeled hazelnuts, ground until fine in a food processor

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

In a mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and lemon zest until smooth and pale in color. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.

Sift the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves onto a piece of parchment paper. Turn the mixer on low and gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix for 30 seconds, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chopped nuts and mix to incorporate. Transfer to plastic wrap, flatten into a one-inch-thick disk and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into one-third and two-thirds. On a floured surface, roll out the larger portion to one-fourth-inch thickness. Using a two-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible. Transfer them to a parchment-lined one-half sheet tray. Combine the scraps and repeat.

Place one-half teaspoon of raspberry jam onto the center of each cookie.

On a clean floured surface, roll out remaining dough to one-fourth-inch thickness. Using the same cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible. Using a three-fourths inch cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of each cookie. Place each cut-out cookie on top of the raspberry jam cookie.

Chill for 15 minutes and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar.

Editor's note: There are two ways to take the skins off hazelnuts. Place them in boiling water with one teaspoon of baking soda for about 10 minutes; the skins will slip off. Or, roast in the oven and then rub nuts with a towel. 

GIANT EXTRA BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

GIANT EXTRA BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES 

Makes 8 giant cookies

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3…“ cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1 cup chopped walnuts

9 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1-inch chunks

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, shiny-side up.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until just barely soft. Beat in the vanilla, sugar, and salt and then mix in the flour until just incorporated. Using a heavy wooden spatula, stir in the nuts and chocolate.

Use a 1/3-cup measuring cup to scoop an even amount for each cookie. Roll each scoop of dough into a ball. Put the cookies on the prepared sheet and flatten to about 1/2-inch thick and 3-1/2 inches wide.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cookies are a pale golden color and darker around the edges, 16 to 18 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool--at least slightly--before devouring.

GINGERSNAP CAKES

 Gingersnap "Cakes"

1/4 cup pure, natural, dark molasses (unsulfured)

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoons very cold water

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the molasses, brown sugar, butter, and water in a large mixing bowl. Stir to blend with a spoon; don't use an electric mixer. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir together well. It will make a very dry, stiff dough.

On a very lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut out figures or cookies with a cookie cutter. Place them about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake until the cookies are just firm to the touch and begin to color around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake.

Makes about 1 dozen, depending on size of cookies.

"During the sugarcane season, Daddy often bartered with his farmer friends for raw sugar, cane syrup, or the dark, thick molasses from the sugar mills. We often made these little cakes. And later, when my daughter, Susan, was little, we made these for after-school treats. They are simple, but the molasses gives these a special taste that brings many good memories of when I was growing up." 

FRUITCAKE BARS

Fruitcake Bars

About 16 bars

Feel free to use any friendly combination of dried fruits that strikes your fancy in these “Friendship Bars”. The dates really do make the recipe, but I’ve tossed in a scoop of dried sour cherries or cranberries, or candied ginger as well, with great results. Whatever you do, stick with the quantities below when swapping out other dried fruits and/or nuts.

For those of you who are gluten-free, I imagine you could substitute another starch for the flour, but haven’t tried it. So if you do, please feel free to leave results in the comments. And if you decide to bake these in individual molds, increase the batter according to the capacity of the molds, and omit lining them with foil and just use non-stick spray.

6 tablespoons (50 g) flour

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (80 g) packed, light or dark brown sugar

2 cups walnuts, almonds, or pecans (200 g), toasted and coarsely chopped

1½ cups (170 g) dates, pitted and quartered

1 cup (170 g) dried apricot halves, preferably from California, snipped in half

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan across the bottom and up the sides with aluminum foil.

2. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC) and position the rack in the center of the oven.

3. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the brown sugar, walnuts, dates, and apricots. Use your fingers to mix the fruit, separate any pieces sticking together.

4. Beat the egg and vanilla in a small bowl, then mix it with the fruit and nut mixture until everything’s coated with the batter. Spread the mixture in the baking pan and press gently to even it out.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top of the bars are golden brown and has pulled away just-slightly from the sides of the pan. Cool the bars in the pan, then lift out.

6. To cut the cooled bars, use a heavy sharp knife, such as a bread knife, for ensuring neat, clean slices.

Storage: The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Individual cakes can be wrapped in plastic.

APPLESAUCE COOKIES

Applesauce Cookies

½ stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ cup chunky-style applesauce
1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup golden raisins
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, and place parchment paper on a wire cooling rack.

Mix the butter and sugars on low speed in the bowl of a standing mixer until combined.  Add egg and applesauce and beat for about 2 to 3 minutes, until thoroughly blended.

Mix in the dry ingredients — oats, flour, baking soda and powder, and salt — and then stir in the raisins.

Drop 1½-inch balls of dough onto your baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.  Bake until golden and just set, 13 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to the wire rack. Let cookies cool completely.