Biscotti With Caramelized Hazelnuts Recipes

CINNAMON HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; mix into the egg mixture. Stir in the hazelnuts. Shape dough into two equal logs approximately 12 inches long. Place logs on baking sheet, and flatten out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
• Bake for about 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden and the center is firm. Remove from oven to cool on the pans. When loaves are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to slice the loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet.
• Bake for an additional 10 minutes, turning over once. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toast hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan until lightly colored and skins are blistered, 10 to 15 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 1 minute, then rub off any loose skins in towel while nuts are still warm (don't worry about skins that don't come off). Cool nuts completely, then very coarsely chop.
• Pulse together sugar and 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to bowl of mixer along with flour and beat at medium speed until combined well. Add eggs and vanilla and beat just until a dough forms. Reduce speed to low, then add remaining chopped hazelnuts and mix until incorporated. Turn off mixer and knead in any loose hazelnuts with your hands.
• Halve dough and, with dampened hands, form each half into a roughly 10- by 2- by 1-inch log on lined baking sheet, arranging logs 3 inches apart.
• Bake until golden and set but still soft to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Cool logs on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes.
• Transfer logs to a cutting board, discarding parchment, and cut logs with a serrated knife on a slight diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Arrange slices, cut sides down, in 1 layer on unlined baking sheet. Bake slices, turning over once, until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool biscotti completely on sheet on rack, about 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a food processor, pulse the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, 1 cup chocolate chunks, and hazelnuts until chocolate and hazelnuts are the size of peas.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whole eggs and granulated sugar until the mixture holds a ribbon-like trail on the surface for a few seconds when you raise the whisk. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and remaining 1 cup chocolate chunks, and beat until just combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a generously floured work surface, and divide into four equal pieces. Shape each piece into a 10-by-2-inch log. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Brush off any excess flour. With the palm of your hand, gently press the logs to flatten slightly. Brush egg white over logs. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until logs are just firm to the touch, 20 to 24 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes.
• Place logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Place wire racks on two large rimmed baking sheets. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on the rack. Bake until biscotti are firm to the touch and completely dry, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let biscotti cool completely on the rack. Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.