Italian Pepper Biscuits Recipes

BISCOTTI DI PEPE - TARALLI - ITALIAN PEPPER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water.
• Sift flour salt and pepper onto mixing board.
• Make a well in the center and add yeast and oil.
• Blend together and gradually incorporate into flour.
• The dough will be stiff.
• Knead 10 minutes.
• Place in oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with towel and let rise until doubled in bulk.
• Preheat oven to 375º.
• Break off small pieces of dough and roll into ropes about 6 inches long.
• Form a ring and pinch edges together.
• Place on baking sheet and let rise 20 minutes.
• Brush with oil and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

TARRADLS (ITALIAN PEPPER RINGS)

Steps:

• In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add the olive oil and 4 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until well incorporated and the pepper and a more flour a little at a time until the dough is able to be kneaded.
• Place dough on a floured board and add more flour. Make sure dough remains moist. It should be slightly more moist than normal bread dough. Knead dough for 5 minutes. Cover with a warm moist cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 3 hours.
• Place almonds and about 2 cups of water in a small saucepan and bring almost to a boil. Let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and peel then place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Once dough is ready, divide it into thirds and roll each third out to 1/4 inch thick squares. Cut into 1 inch wide strips. Place about 3 or 4 almond in a row on end of the strips and fold the other end over and seal the nuts well. Twist dough together to form rings and pinch ends together. They should be about 2 to 2 1/2 inch rings. Place the rings on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake in a preheat 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 30 minutes or until nice and brown. To make them more crispy place them in a roasting pan and return to the oven as it cools.

CRACKED PEPPER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add thyme and cracked black pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer thyme mixture to small bowl. Whisk in milk, then egg. Cover and chill until mixture is cold.
• Blend flour, baking powder and salt in processor. Add 3/4 cup butter. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk mixture. Using on/off turns, process until moist clumps begin to form. Transfer dough to floured work surface. Knead until dough holds together, about 6 turns. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using 2-inch-diameter biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out biscuits. Reroll dough scraps and cut out additional biscuits, making 16 biscuits total. Transfer biscuits to large baking sheet.
• Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Serve biscuits warm. (Biscuits can be prepared ahead. Cool. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature 8 hours or freeze up to 2 weeks. Rewarm biscuits in 350°F oven just until heated through, about 8 minutes.)

ITALIAN WINE BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Make a well in the center and add the vegetable oil and wine.
• Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To form the biscuits, pinch off 1-inch balls of dough and gently roll into a small log about 1/2-inch in diameter.
• Bring the ends together to form a circle and pinch to close.
• Place the formed biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg-water mixture.
• Bake for 12 to 18 minutes until solid and slightly crisp on the outside.
• These cookies do not really brown, so test them after 12 minutes and time them according to your personal taste.
• Cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.

ITALIAN PEPPER BALLS

Steps:

• Melt shortening and cool. Add in white sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, black pepper, ground cloves, allspice and ground cinnamon. Stir in flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix well. Stir in milk, 1 ounce brandy, rum or whisky and chopped nuts.
• Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 4-8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Break off little pieces of dough and roll into small balls, about 3/4 inch in diameter. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes. DO NOT overbake. Remove from pan and roll in glaze.
• To Make Glaze: Combine 1/3 cup of butter, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 5 tablespoons cocoa, and 2 ounces of brandy, rum or whisky. Mix until smooth. Roll cooled cookies in glaze and place on waxed paper to dry.

ITALIAN PEPPER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 400 degrees.
• Prepare yeast.
• Add olive oil, salt and egg - mix. Add spices and flour. Knead dough until smooth. Place in a clean bowl, cut a cross into dough, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 1/2 hour in a warm dry place.
• Remove dough, follow the cut you made and cut in 1/4 "chunks". Cut each 1/4 piece in strips. Roll dough with fingers into strips around 8-10 inches. Fold in half to make ends meet and twist. You can leave the biscuits in this shape or connect ends to make a twisted circle. Whatever shape you like!
• Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the first cookie sheet in the oven on the bottom rack. After 15 minutes remove cookie sheet from bottom rack and place on top rack. Then place the 2nd cookie sheet on bottom rack. After 15 minutes, remove cookie sheet from top rack and let cool. Then continue again w/cookie sheet on bottom rack and moving it to the top rack.
• Each cookie sheet must stay in the oven a total of 30 minutes - 15 minutes bottom rack and15 minutes top rack.
• Enjoy.

OLIVE-OIL PEPPER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, semolina, sugar, pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, then stir in wine and oil. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead with lightly floured hands until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes.
• Put dough in a lightly oiled large bowl and cover bowl with oiled plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Bring 4 cups water to a boil with remaining teaspoon sea salt in a medium pot.
• Meanwhile, halve dough, then cut each half into 10 pieces. Keeping remaining dough covered, roll 1 piece of dough into a 20-inch-long rope on an unfloured surface. Cut rope into 5 pieces, then roll each piece into a 4-inch-long rope, connecting ends of each to form a ring. Transfer to a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth). Repeat with remaining dough.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Oil 2 large baking sheets.
• Boil rings in 4 batches just until they float, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to oiled baking sheets, arranging rings 1/2 inch apart.
• Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.

BLACK PEPPER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in Grand Marnier, lemon peel and vanilla. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in dry ingredients. Cover and chill just until slightly firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle powdered sugar on work surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half on sugar to 11-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake until firm to touch, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Transfer logs to work surface. Discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake until dry, about 20 minutes. Cool on racks. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight.)