Since I mentioned cooking yesterday, here’s a recipe for Cardamon-Almond Biscotti. It’s based on the “Classic Biscotti” recipe from Joy of Cooking, but with quite a few flavor tweaks. I was inspired both by Shuna Fish Lydon’s Cardamon Chocolate Chunk Cookies (though I make no claims to her mastery of pastry) and by the great cardamon-and-almond-studded rice puddings of India.
Saying “I made biscotti” somehow sounds more impressive than “I baked cookies,” though they’re really no harder. There’s one extra step of cutting them up for the second bake, but it’s a simple process. Give them a try!
Cardamon-Almond Biscotti
Preheat oven to 375°.
Whisk together:
- 3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
In a separate bowl, whisk until well blended:
- 1/4 cup corn or canola oil
- 1 1/4 cups sugar (I’ve used both white and brown; a matter of preference and pantry.)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 tsp ground cardamon (Use freshly ground, if you can. Most Indian grocers sell the black seeds, which you can grind in a mortar or coffee grinder. You can also buy the green pods and crack them open to get out the seeds. Pre-ground will work, but doesn’t have quite the same oomph.)
- 2 tsp amaretto or almond extract
Stir the dry mixture into the wet until well blended. The dough will be dry, but will eventually stick together. Add:
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted, unsalted almonds
Form the dough into two logs about 10 or 11″ long. Flatten into rectangles about 11 x 5 x 1″. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or a sheet covered with baking parchment. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and carefully slide each rectangle onto a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut into cookies about 1/2″ wide. (Hold the logs with a hot pad or towel while you cut.) Place cookies on their sides on the baking sheet. Bake for five minutes. Remove from oven, flip cookies to other side, and bake for another five minutes. (If you prefer your biscotti chewier, go with four minutes per side; if crunchier, try six. Keep in mind that the exact time may vary in different ovens.)
Drizzle with melted bittersweet chocolate, if you like: Melt a cup or so of chopped chocolate or chips in the microwave until just shiny, not yet a puddle. (Start with 30 seconds in your microwave; give another 30 if needed.) Remove and stir until melted. Drizzle from the end of a spoon or rubber spatula, or simply dunk one end of each biscotti into the chocolate and let cool on wax paper.
Variations: Try different kinds of nuts, such as hazelnuts, pecans, or pistachios. Use grated lemon or orange zest instead of cardamon. Use grated fresh ginger (or even powdered) instead of the cardamon and mix in 1/4 cup of chopped crystallized ginger.
Have a favorite cookie recipe of your own you’d like to share? Leave a comment.