I read with some guilt the letter from our editor, Larry Binda, in the December issue of TheBurg. He was talking about the fact that “some people adore winter” and shared that he “didn’t understand those people.”
Sigh. I am one of those people.
I have always loved the wintertime, especially a long January afternoon with the slanted rays of the sun casting blue shadows on the snow. I know it can be wet, soggy and 57 degrees in January around these parts. But I do love snow and always hope for a snowy winter. I love the coziness of a warm house, a fire in the fireplace and something yummy bubbling on the stove.
But I especially love a cup of afternoon tea with the cookie for all seasons, the Italian biscotti.
Biscotti are said to have originated in Tuscany and, because they are “twice-baked,” they were considered a perfect “dry” treat for sailors traveling on long sea voyages. Today, these Italian cookies can be found at your favorite coffee shop, as well as in the cookie aisle of the average grocery store. While traditional biscotti are baked with almonds or the sweet licorice-like flavor of anise extract, they can be made with an almost endless variety of fruits, nuts and spices.
Biscotti can be studded with chocolate chips or dipped in luscious melted white, dark or milk chocolate. Dried cherries or cranberries and golden dried apricots make perfect biscotti for winter holidays. A new favorite of mine are the tiny biscotti offered for dessert at Harrisburg’s Note Bistro and Wine Bar. They are served with a small pot of tiramisu spread and are a fabulous accompaniment to the restaurant’s strong, French-pressed coffee.
So, why make your own biscotti at home? Well, they are fun to make, and I think are so much better than the jaw-breaking ones often found commercially. They make an easy dessert for company along with some gelato or stewed fruit. And they keep a long time. The recipe below is for biscotti uniquely flavored with orange and a bit of cornmeal from one of my favorite cooking “bibles,” “Savoring Italy.”
This makes a lot of cookies, perhaps enough to share with a friend. Biscotti are wonderful when dipped in sweet Italian dessert wine like Vin Santo or Moscato. You can also dip them in espresso and hot chocolate. And, when sitting by the fire, what could be better?
I’m thinking I could get our editor, Larry, to really like winter.
Ed. Note: I still don’t like winter, Rosemary, but I love biscotti!
Biscotti all’ Arancia (Orange Biscotti)
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/3 cup finely chopped candied orange peel (If you can’t find this ingredient, increase the fresh orange zest to 2 tablespoons.)
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 325. Butter 2 large baking sheets and dust with flour (alternately use PAM baking spray or parchment paper).
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and foamy. Beat in the grated orange zest.
- Reduce the speed to low and stir in the flour mixture and candied orange peel just until blended. (The dough will be soft and sticky.)
- With 2 spatulas, divide the dough into 3 parts. Shape into 3 “logs” about 12 inches long and place on the prepared sheets. (Place the logs as far apart as you can as they will expand.)
- Moisten your hands with cool water and pat the surface of the dough until smooth.
- Bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. (But check often toward the end and don’t over-brown.)
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven, leaving the oven on.
- Slide the logs onto a cutting board and let cool for a few minutes. With a very sharp knife, slice the logs on the diagonal about ½ inch thick. Arrange the cut slices back on the baking sheets, arranging them at least ½ inch apart.
- Return the biscotti to the oven and bake again until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.
Author: Rosemary Ruggieri Baer
