Biscotti - an ancient recipe with timeless appeal

For years, my friend Marie would bake dozens and dozens of biscotti as holiday gifts for her business colleagues, friends and family. She bundled the long, slender cookies into decorative bags and boxes tied with ribbons and bows. The treats were always picture-perfect and in a wide range of flavors – almond, chocolate, cranberry and pistachio, just to name a few.

When the December issue of Bon Appetit arrived, the recipe for coffee hazelnut biscotti caught my eye. Actually, the photo reminded me of Marie’s kitchen around holiday time, and I decided to bake a batch. Of course, before breaking out any bowls or beaters, I had to look into the history and traditions associated with biscotti.

Like so many other foods we enjoy in modern times, biscotti traces its origins to ancient Rome. The name comes from the Latin words for twice and cooked (bis and coctum). Although enjoyed today as a sweet treat, these were originally designed to feed the Roman legions. The unleavened batter was baked once to cook them and a second time to dry them out completely.

Biscotti took a hiatus after the fall of the Roman Empire, reappearing in Tuscany during the Renaissance. Here, they were flavored with almonds and served with Vin Santo, a sweet dessert wine with intense flavors of hazelnut and caramel. They also were given a more specific name, cantucci di Prato, for their emergence in Prato, a region with vast almond groves.

We still use the term biscotti for these crunchy, finger-shaped, twice-baked cookies, while the Italians call them cantucci, and each region of the country developed a signature flavor profile for its cantucci. These continued to serve as portable, stable food for travelers, and Christopher Columbus is reported to have left Italy with a supply on board when he sailed for North America.

Today, you’ll find biscotti in bakeries, coffee shops and supermarkets in an array of flavor combinations. Typically, the mixtures feature some type of nut and chunks of dried fruit or chocolate. For a completely decadent version, some are dipped in chocolate and topped with sprinkles or other decorative touches.

For the biscotti in the photo, I made a few rookie mistakes. First off, I didn’t have the correct type of nuts. You need fatty nuts like hazelnuts, almonds or pistachios that won’t burn or overly crisp in the two-step baking process. My second misstep was not reading the line in the directions that instructed me to divide the dough in half, which resulted in the middle section not cooking all the way through.

This also gave me a bit of trouble slicing the loaf into “fingers,” which is why these look a bit uneven in shape and size. However, like all sweets that appear in our house, the resident taste-tester rated them delicious, despite their less-than-uniform appearance. The chopped pecans became very crisp, but complemented the coffee flavor and sweet chocolate bits.

I’ve included the recipe for the coffee-hazelnut biscotti as well as one of Marie’s favorites that features almonds and cranberries. Now you’re ready to set sail!

Coffee-Hazelnut Biscotti*

2/3 C hazelnuts
3 eggs
2 T instant espresso powder
1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
1 C sugar
2 t vanilla extract
2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
3 oz semisweet chocolate
2 T sugar

Preheat to 325 F. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop; set aside. Crack two eggs into a mixing bowl. Separate the last egg, adding the yolk to the same bowl and placing the white in a small bowl. Add espresso powder to the large bowl and whisk into eggs until combined; set aside. Place the softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Stir in egg-espresso mixture; beat until smooth. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix on low to combine. Coarsely chop the chocolate and fold into the batter along with nuts. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half and shape each into a 5-inch square mound, about 1-inch thick. Place each mound on prepared baking sheet. Beat the egg white until frothy and brush on top of both mounds of dough. Sprinkle generously with sugar.

Bake until firm in the center and starting to crisp at the edges, about 30 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks; allow loaves to cool for 15 minutes. Carefully place loaves on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice on a slight diagonal one-half-inch thick. Place biscotti cut side down in a single layer on baking sheets and bake until dry and crisp, about 30 minutes. Place baking sheets on racks and cool. Store in an airtight container. *Note: adapted from Bon Appetit.

Marie’s Cranberry Biscotti*

1 C dried cranberries
2 eggs
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 T finely grated orange zest
1 t cinnamon
1 1/4 t baking powder
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1/4 t salt
2 C flour
1 C slivered blanched almonds
2 T sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the cranberries in a bowl with hot water to cover; drain after 10 minutes and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, zest, cinnamon, baking powder, both extracts and salt. Add flour, almonds and drained cranberries; stir until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half and work each piece on a floured surface to form logs, 2 inches in diameter. Place both logs on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices with a serrated knife. Place the slices on the baking sheet, cut side down in a single layer. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool on a baking rack and store in an airtight container. *Note: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma’s Gifts From the Kitchen.