Hazelnut And Apricot Biscotti Recipes

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.

APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool slightly. Place nuts in a dishtowel and rub together to remove some of the skin. Coarsely chop and set aside.
• Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until soft and creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add lemon rind and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat well.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir to blend. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating on low until a smooth dough forms. Stir in hazelnuts and apricots.
• Divide dough in half. With lightly floured hands, form dough into two 10 x 2-inch logs. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet 15 minutes. Transfer logs to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut straight down through the log to make 1-inch-thick slices; discard end pieces. Arrange on a baking sheet.
• Bake 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn biscotti over and continue baking until lightly browned on the other side, about 9 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets before serving or storing. The biscotti store well for one week and freeze well. Makes about 20.

HAZELNUT ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and extracts until well-blended. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into egg mixture. Stir in nuts (mixture will be stiff)., Divide dough in half. Using lightly floured hands, shape each portion into a 9x2-in. rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes., Cool on pans on wire racks until firm. Reduce oven setting to 325°. Transfer baked rectangles to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 3/4-in. slices. Place on baking sheets, cut side down., Bake until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes per side. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Stir in the vanilla, then add 2 1/2 cups of the flour mixed with baking powder.
• Cut the nuts in half and add them to the dough. The mixture should be thick enough to shape by hand. If not, add the remaining flour little by little until the mixture reaches the right consistency. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Shape the dough into about 6 small loaves that are 2 inches wide, 6 inches long and 1 inch high. Lay them about 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until light gold in color.
• While they are hot, place the loaves on a cutting board and cut them on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet, making sure they do not touch. Bake again for about 10 minutes, until they are golden brown. Watch closely and do not overbake.

CHERRY-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat cherries and liqueur in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cherries have softened, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid. If liquid equals less than 2 tablespoons, add enough liqueur to make 2 tablespoons.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in 3 whole eggs, one at a time. Mix in reserved cherry liquid and the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in cherries and almonds.
• On a lightly floured surface, halve dough. Shape each half into a 12 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch log. Flatten logs to 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper. Brush logs with beaten egg; sprinkle with the sanding sugar.
• Bake 35 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to wire racks to cool, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Cut each log on the diagonal into 16 to 18 pieces. Transfer pieces to racks, laying them on sides. Set racks on baking sheets. Bake 8 minutes; flip. Bake 8 minutes more. Let cool until crisp.