I found this cookbook at borders for 5 bucks and couldn’t resist. It is called the Cookie and Biscuit bible. I’m going to attempt to make quite a few of these recipes.
It is adventurous. So first up I thought I would try biscotti. I don’t think i’ve ever even tasted biscotti let along make it. Pretty good i’ve got to say. These didn’t turn out extremely hard. They had a nice little chew to them, not so crispy. Enjoy!
Polenta from scratch
Butter and sugar creamed
Eggs, orange rind and juice
The dry ingredients and polenta
Kneaded on floured surface
Pressed out into a rectangle
After the first bake
Cut into sticks
After the second bake
Orange Biscotti
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- finely grated rind of 1 small orange, plus 2 tsp juice
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- good pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup polenta
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease a large baking sheet. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg, then the orange rind and juice, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and polenta.
Tip the mixture on to a lightly floured surface and knead. Place the dough on the baking shee and flatten out with the palm of your hand to make a rectangle about 10 x 7in.
Bake the dough for 25 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to stand for about 5 minutes until slightly cooled.
using a sharp knife, carefully cut the mixture widthways into thin sticks, about 1/2in wide.
space the cookies out slightly on the baking sheet to there’s a gap between each one allowing air to circulate, then return to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes until crisp. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and leave to cool. Serve dusting with a little confectioners’ sugar.
