Orange Pecan Biscotti Recipe | Food Apparel (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making biscotti? ›

Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.

Biscotti are hard, crunchy cookies as they are usually baked twice - the word biscotti is derived from Italian - "bis" meaning "twice" and "cotti" meaning "cooked". Usually the dough is formed into small loaf shapes (similar to a ciabatta loaf) and baked for around 20 minutes, then cooled slightly before slicing.

The dry, crunchy texture of the biscotti is perfect for dunking.

The choice is yours; just keep in mind that those made with butter or oil will have both a softer texture and a shorter shelf life. As for fillings and flavors, biscotti get along with a host of ingredients, including dried fruit, nuts, spices, liqueurs and chocolate.

Because the dough can be sticky and hard to form, it's important to chill the batter for a good 30 minutes before baking the first time. Prepare a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper then dust it with a little flour. Transfer the batter to the baking sheet and chill in the fridge.

Baking soda is a leavening agent. It creates air bubbles (technically, carbon dioxide) in your batter, when heated. Without it, your baked goods will not rise to the desired levels and the airy texture you're looking for will be adversely affected.

The dough.

Biscotti dough is inherently sticky. I recommend adequately flouring your hands before working the dough, and if it's still too sticky to handle, add a little flour at a time but just enough so you can work with it.

A: Overbaking the logs of dough during the first baking can make the slices crumble as you are cutting them. Also, even if the logs of dough are perfectly baked, they will crumble if they are sliced while still warm, so be patient. The logs crumble when you use a dull knife, too.

What is the difference between American and Italian biscotti? ›

Today the word “biscotti” is used to refer to any kind of baked good deriving from the traditional ones. Italy has an amazing variety of biscotti, but they are usually smaller than the American cookies and dryer as they are meant to be dunked in milk or other hot beverages in the morning.

Just like biscuits, you can't overmix the dough. I found that if the dough is mixed too much, the biscotti becomes dense and heavy.

In terms of health regular cookies are a high-calorie treat because of their higher moisture content, which also causes them to contain more fats and sugars. However, because of their drier texture, biscotti usually have lower fat and sugar content. However, it is vital to practice portion control, for both options.

In the US, we typically enjoy our biscotti dipped into espresso, but in Italy, it's also traditional to dip them into a glass of good Vin Santo after a meal.

Since they are very dry, biscotti traditionally are served with a drink, into which they may be dunked. In Italy they are typically served as an after-dinner dessert with a Tuscan fortified wine called Vin Santo. Outside of Italy, they more frequently accompany coffee, including cappuccinos and lattes, or black tea.

If when you have baked the loaf, and then they fall apart when you try to slice them, you have baked the Biscotti too long.