The trendy dipping biscuit
R.S. from Armstrong, B.C., is looking for a biscotti recipe, with different flavors, similar to those found in cappuccino cafes. Biscotti have become a popular treat for baby boomers. In coffee houses, around the kitchen table or beside a crackling fire, biscotti are just the thing.
Last summer at the lake, we enjoyed biscotti in the evening with hot chocolate and flavored coffees. This week my daughter Marla and I made these to take on our two-day ski trip to the mountains. They are fun to make and go over well at the end of a strenuous day.
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Most plain biscotti are low in fat. The following is a classic biscotti recipe with reduced fat. Each biscotti has less than two grams.
Classic biscotti
(reduced fat)
Makes about three dozen, 3 x 1Ú2 inch (10 x 1 centimetre) biscotti.
Position a rack in the centre of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Grease a cookie sheet.
Whisk together thoroughly:
31Ú3 cups 825 mL
all-purpose flour
21Ú2 teaspoons 12 mL
baking powder
1Ú2 teaspoon salt 2 ml
Beat on medium speed until well blended:
1Ú4 cup corn or 50 ml
canola oil
11Ú4 cups sugar 300 ml
2 large eggs 2
2 large egg whites 2
1 teaspoon finely 5 ml
grated lemon zest
1Ú2 teaspoon finely 2 ml
grated orange zest
1 teaspoon anise 5 ml
extract or almond
extract
1 teaspoon vanilla 5 ml
Gradually stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until well blended and smooth. Shape the dough into a smooth, evenly shaped 11 x 11Ú2 inch (27.5 x 3.5 cm) logs, either by wrapping each log in plastic and rolling it back and forth until smooth, or by shaping it with lightly floured hands.
Arrange the logs as far apart as possible on the sheet and press to flatten slightly. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the sheet to a rack. When the logs are just cool enough to handle, carefully transfer to a cutting board and cut crosswise, on a slight diagonal, into 3Ú8 inch (1 cm) thick slices. Lay the slices flat on the sheet. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake until lightly browned, five to 10 minutes more. Transfer the biscotti to racks to cool.
Chocolate-coated mocha biscotti
Makes about 3 1Ú2 dozen 3 x 1Ú2 inch (10 x 1 cm) biscotti.
If you wish to freeze these, coat with chocolate after thawing to room temperature. Position a rack in the centre of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease a cookie sheet.
Spread in separate small baking pans:
11Ú3 cups whole 325 mL
blanched almonds
11Ú3 cups whole 325 mL
hazelnuts
Toast, stirring occasionally, until the almonds are tinged with brown and fragrant, and the hazelnut skins are loosened, 8-12 minutes. Let cool, then rub the hazelnuts in a dishtowel or between your palms to remove as much skin as possible. Coarsely chop the nuts.
Chop into small bits:
6 ounces 170 g
bittersweet or
semisweet chocolate
Whisk together thoroughly:
3 cups 750 ml
all-purpose flour
1Ú4 cup unsweetened 50 ml
cocoa
21Ú2 teaspoons 12 ml
baking powder
1Ú4 teaspoon salt 1 ml
Beat on medium speed until very fluffy and well blended:
1Ú2 cup unsalted 125 ml
butter, softened
1 cup sugar 250 ml
Beat in one at a time:
3 large eggs 3
1 large egg white 1
Add and beat until the coffee is dissolved:
11Ú2 tablespoons 22 ml
light corn syrup
1 tablespoon 15 ml
instant coffee
granules or powder
11Ú4 teaspoons 6 ml
vanilla
11Ú4 teaspoons almond 6 ml
extract (optional)
Gradually stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until well blended and smooth. Stir in the nuts and chocolate.
Shape the dough into two smooth, evenly shaped 15 x 11Ú2 inch (38 x 3.5 cm) logs, either by wrapping each log in plastic and rolling it back and forth until smooth, or by shaping it with lightly floured hands. Arrange on the sheet and flatten. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the sheet to a rack.
When the logs are just cool enough to handle, carefully transfer to a cutting board and cut crosswise, on a slight diagonal, into 1Ú2 inch (1 cm) thick slices. Lay the slices flat on the sheet. Return to the oven and bake until the slices are almost firm when lightly pressed on top, 16-20 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to racks to cool.
To prepare for adding the optional drizzled chocolate, arrange the slices in neat rows about 1Ú2 inch (1 cm) apart on the cookie sheet. Melt, stirring often, in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water.
4 ounces 115 g
bittersweet or
semisweet chocolate,
coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon 15 ml
corn or canola oil
Remove the top of the double boiler from the bottom and add, off the heat:
2 ounces 55 g
bittersweet or
semisweet chocolate,
cut into four pieces
Stir until the melted chocolate cools to barely warm. Remove any unmelted chocolate. Immediately spoon the chocolate into a paper cone or a pastry bag fitted with a large writing tip. If using a paper cone, cut off the tip to allow a 1Ú8 inch (0.25 cm) wide drizzled line. Quickly drizzle long zigzag lines back and forth until all the biscotti are decorated. Let stand, chocolate side up, in a cool room until the chocolate is completely set, about 30 minutes.
Source for these two recipes, The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, Copyright 1997, Simon & Shuster Inc. This cookbook is available at most bookstores for $39.50.
The joy of cooking
For Christmas last year, my friend Darlene bought each of her university daughters the revised Joy cookbook. Darlene has had an older edition for years, and has raved about it so much that I also bought the new one.
The Joy of Cooking has been a favorite cookbook of many since its first printing by Ethan’s grandmother in 1931. That original book made cooking socially acceptable, fun and easy, and helped change the perception of cooking from a chore to a joy.
Ethan’s mother, with her 1975 revision of Joy, saw the best-selling edition ever. Ethan Becker, with his publishing partners, has created a cookbook useful to novice and experienced cooks alike.
You can find sections on:
- Cooking basics at a glance.
- Washing and storing salad greens.
- Selecting a pasta and a matching sauce.
- Determining when a piece of fish is cooked through.
- Stuffing a chicken.
- Making a perfect souffle.
This is one of the reasons this cookbook is an excellent choice for guys and gals leaving home. The book includes old favorites from the Rombauer family home in the Cockaigne, recipes for convenience and recipes that reflect a melting pot of culture and cuisine.
Foods from around the world include humus, baba ghanoush, bruschetta, tacos, empanadas and fried wontons.
It also includes thorough descriptions of ingredients, from the familiar to the most exotic. For example, Joy features a section on fresh and dried chili peppers, how to roast and grill them, how to store them.
There are new chapters on grains, beans, and pasta including recipes for grits, polenta, pilafs, risotto, vegetarian chilis, bean casseroles and make-ahead lasagnas. Quick and yeast bread recipes range from focaccia, pizza and sourdoughs to muffins and coffee cakes.
One can find traditional desserts, six different kinds of cheesecakes and even an illustrated wedding cake recipe that takes you through all the stages from building a stand, making and decorating the cake, to transporting it to the reception without a hitch.
I was pleased to see recipes for people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to gluten, and charts with calories, essential vitamins, and levels of fat and cholesterol. They also make suggestions on how to lower fat content in recipes.
Dear TEAM: I would like a recipe for rice pudding made from cooked leftover rice or rice cooked ahead in water first. I can’t have milk, so cooking rice pudding in lots of milk is out. If the rice is already cooked, it only takes a little milk and maybe egg, sugar, etc. to finish it off. – S.F., Kelliher, Sask.
Dear S.F.: My daughter Jaime, who is lactose-intolerant, has three recipes for rice pudding. This is the most traditional one, and has ingredients you can find anywhere. The creaminess in this rice pudding comes from the combination of short grain rice, fruit juices and eggs to give it a custard-like texture and smooth taste. We use long grain rice when we make it. However, the cookbook recommends using Italian short grain, which is available in supermarkets.
Creamy rice pudding
3 cups water 750 ml
1 cinnamon stick 1
1Ú2 cup 125 ml
short grain rice
1 cup apple juice 250 ml
1Ú3 cup brown sugar 75 ml
1 teaspoon vanilla 5 ml
1Ú4 teaspoon grated 1 ml
nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten 2
1Ú3 cup currants 75 ml
or raisins
In a saucepan over high heat, bring 2 cups (500 mL) of water and cinnamon sticks to boil. Stir in rice. Return to boil, reduce heat and simmer 35-40 minutes until rice is very tender and water has been absorbed. Stir in remaining water, apple juice, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Cook, covered, over low heat for about 10 minutes or until rice is creamy. Beat in eggs and currants. Cook, stirring, about two minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks. For best flavor, serve warm. Makes six servings.
Per serving recipe information:
Calories: 160.2, protein: 3.1 grams, carbohydrates: 32.4 grams, fat: 2.1 grams, calcium: 32.2 milligrams, dietary fibre: 0.7 grams.
Source: The Lactose-Free Family Cookbook by Jan Main, a Canadian professional home economist, published by Macmillan Canada. I bought this cookbook for Jaime about a year ago at Coles for $22.95.
