Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Biscotti , flavoured with pistachio and dark chocolate

A traditional biscotti served with coffee in Italy. A firm bite and a biscuit that seems to take on any flavour its given.
I always have an array of nuts in my baking cupboard. They are a great snack but an essential in allot of my baking, especially at Christmas and Easter. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to bake a batch of biscotti, pop them into an air tight jar, and see them disappear over the course of a few days.

I am not super mum, not at all. I cannot drop everything and bake biscotti or a cake at the drop of a hat. I love a takeaway now and again, I occasionally buy shop bought biscuits and cakes and take no shame in that at all. BUT, making your own treats, fills me with self satisfaction. They are fresh. I know whats gone into them. For me that's key and so important. Obviously the other very important point is the cost. Homemade will cost less and that means in Carmela's world you can eat more.........

100g pistachio
100g dark chocolate, chopped or buttons
250g strong white flour
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs 
zest of a fresh clementine
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla


Preheat your oven to 180C.
1. Prepare two baking trays with parchment.
2. I use a large mixing bowl to make biscotti. I love to feel the stir and dough in my fingers. In your bowl pour in the flour, sugar and baking powder, stir to incorporate.
3. Add in the chocolate, nuts (whole), vanilla, zest and eggs.
4. Stir into a dough.
5. Once you have a dough, roll it out onto a light dusting of icing sugar. Roll into a large sausage and cut into three. (icing sugar will not dry out the dough)
6. Place the three sausages, slightly flattened onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. 
7. Remove from the oven and place onto a chopping board, cut at an angel, all three sausages. Place each biscuit back onto a baking tray (you will need another tray) and pop back into the oven for 3-4 minutes. 

Cool, store and enjoy.
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Carmela x


3 comments:

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  2. Love the look of these! Daft question I know as they probably get eaten very quickly, but how long do you think they'd last in an air-tight jar if I were to make some as a present? x

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  3. Made these today and they were pretty damn good (says my wife and kids) dispite my silly mistake of using 4x med egss thinking that equal 2x large. Keep these yummy italian recipes coming :)

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