Christmas cookie baking number 4

December 10th

Christmas biscotti

I like to make biscotti at Christmas and include this in my seven biscuits most years.  This year I have found a new recipe from a wonderful Norwegian baker called Manuela, her brilliant website can be found:  here

♥  6 large eggs
♥  300g sugar
♥  225g unsalted softened butter
♥  1 tsp vanilla essence
♥  700g plain flour
♥  2 tsp baking powder
♥  200g mixed nuts such as almonds or hazelnuts
♥  50g pistachios
♥  160g dried cherries
♥  40g dried cranberries


Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.  Cover two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Whisk the eggs and sugar for about 5 minutes until light and very fluffy.  

 

Change to a beater blade, add the cut up butter gradually to the mixture and continue mixing for about 4 minutes.  

 

 

 

Add vanilla extract.  Sift the flour and baking powder together and add only ONE THIRD of the flour to the mixture and mix well.  Mix the second third of flour and blend in to make a sticky dough.

 

 

 

Tip the remainder of the flour onto the work surface.

 

 

 

Place the dough on top of the flour and knead in, it will be very sticky and you may need to add a little extra flour, but not too much. 

 

 

 

Knead until the dough is smooth and soft.

 

 

Have the nuts and dried fruit ready in separate bowls.

Sprinkle the dried fruit on the dough and then fold the dough.

Sprinkle the mixed nuts on the dough and then fold the dough.

Sprinkle the pistachios on the dough and then fold the dough.

Fold the dough and make it into a log shape, divide the dough in two.

 

Roll each half of the dough into two long log shapes about 45 cm long.

 

Gently roll over each log with a rolling pin  to flatten the top of each log.

 

Bake in the oven for about 20~25 minutes or until gently golden. Once removed from the oven, reduce the heat to 130 degrees.

 

Remove each log from the tray and using a SHARP serrated knife cut each log into 1cm slices.  Place each slice back on the baking try, standing up with a little space between each to allow the air to move around each slice, see photo for clarification.  Place back in the oven for between 30~60 minutes until each biscotti is crisp.

 

Cool on a wire rack.  Biscotti should keep well in an air tight container for about 3 weeks.

 

The four Christmas cookies made so far

 

 

The other cookies made so far can be found below:

 

 Pepperkake

 

 Peppernotter

Syltkaker

♥  How are your Christmas preparations coming along?  ♥