Biscotti – An Italian Favorite

Biscotti are one of the most popular Italian cookies. They are a twice-baked cookie, leading to its crunchy texture. I am more of a soft cookie person (See this Cooking Tip on how to control the texture of your cookies), and I am not a cookie dunker in any way. So, I must say that Biscotti is not on my list of favorite cookies. They are for many people, and so how to make them the best is the subject of this Cooking Tip.

History tells us that biscotti originated in ancient Rome. They were popular with soldiers or travelers as they had a long shelf life. The popularity of the cookies led to their migrating to other parts of Europe. Due to the long shelf-life, even Christopher Colombus carried biscotti with him on his explorations. Of course, over time, biscotti evolved and now can be found with many different flavors and ingredients.

In modern Italian, biscotti may mean any cookie or biscuit. The original name came from the Latin word biscoctus, meaning twice-baked.

Ingredients

• The traditional recipe contained no fat other than what is in the eggs. However, most modern-day recipes will include butter or oil. This is especially true of the Americanized biscotti.
• The ingredients are what you would expect in most cookies – flour, sugar, eggs, butter (for non-traditional biscotti), baking powder, flavorings, and add-ins.
• Use room temperature ingredients. Biscotti are made using the creaming method, which creates an emulsion of the ingredients that trap air and will subsequently expand when the cookies are baked. If the ingredients are too cold, you will not get this emulsion, and your cookies will be denser.
• Add-ins
  • Examples are nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate chips.
  • These items may affect the recipe by adding moisture. Because of this, you may need to extend the baking time. According to King Arthur Baking, for every 1½ cups of add-ins, add five minutes to the first bake and 5-10 minutes to the second bake.
  • If using nuts, chop them finely before adding to the dough. Whole nuts make slicing the biscotti very difficult.
  • Coarse sugar, such as sparkling or pearl sugar, can be added before baking for crunch, flavor and appearance. If you wish to do so, brush the logs with beaten egg white and then top with the sugar.
  • Flavorings might include classic almond, anise, citrus, hazelnut, chocolate or spices.
  • A common decoration is melted chocolate, either drizzled on the cookie or the cookie is dipped into the chocolate and possibly sprinkled with nuts.

Equipment

• You do not need any specialized equipment to make biscotti.
• The dough can be made by hand, although most bakers prefer a stand mixer.
• Baking sheets lined with parchment paper for baking.
• A long serrated knife for slicing. This knife allows you to cut the slices neatly without applying too much pressure.
• Optional – a water mister

Procedure

• Mixing
  • The basic mixing procedure is the creaming method. See this Cooking Tip for more information on this method. It involves mixing the wet ingredients until creamy and lightened in color. The dry ingredients are combined in a separate bowl and then mixed into the creamed mixture.
• Forming the dough into logs
  • The dough will be sticky. Try wetting your hands if you find it difficult to shape into nice logs. Try not to add additional flour.
  • There are different opinions among bakers about chilling the dough. Although this is a common technique when making other kinds of cookies, some will tell you not to chill biscotti dough. However, many bakers recommend a slight chilling to make it easier to handle.
  • Some recipes may direct you to shape the dough into one large log. Other recipes will have you cut that large log into two or three smaller logs, about 2 to 2½ inches wide.
  • The nicer job you do in shaping, the nicer your finished biscotti will look.
• Place logs on parchment-lined baking sheets.
  • Because these logs can expand up to twice their size while baking, leave plenty of room between them. It is best to only put two logs on a baking sheet. They can expand into each other if you do not leave sufficient room.
  • Applying an egg wash before baking will add shine and help with browning.
• First bake
  • Put the baking sheet into the oven on the middle rack for the best air circulation.
  • After this first bake, the cookies should be firm but not hard and lightly browned.
  • This first bake cooks the dough, although some moisture remains within the cookie.
• Slicing
  • Allow the baked logs to cool only slightly; they should still be warm but not so hot as to burn your hands. If you allow them to cool too much, they will harden up and be difficult to slice.
  • Slice on the diagonal for long biscotti or straight across for shorter ones.
  • Before slicing, some like to spray the log lightly with water and wait five minutes. It will make cutting without crumbling easier.
• Second bake
  • The purpose of the second bake is to dry out the cookies without too much further browning. Therefore, a lower oven temperature is used.
  • Decreasing the moisture results in a crunchier cookie that lasts longer as it is less likely to get moldy.
  • If you haven’t sliced the cookies too thin, stand them on the baking tray rather than laying them flat. This increases circulation with better drying.
  • Turn them over halfway through the second bake if you lay them down.
  • To determine doneness, feel the side of the cookie. If it feels soft, bake for another five minutes. If it is firm but has a slight give, you can take them out and get a softer biscotti. If it is totally firm, it will be a crunchier biscotti.
  • When done, cool the baked cookies on a wire rack. This allows for air circulation that will cause them to further crisp up.

Storage

• Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
• If they lose crispiness, then can be placed into a 250°F oven for about five minutes.
• They can also be frozen for up to three months.

Are you a Biscotti fan? Have you ever tried making them yourself? As for me, I am going to stick to soft, chewy cookies!