I haven't done any baking lately, because we are in the middle of the spring musical (we're doing Cinderella) so I've been covered in sawdust and paint spatters rather than flour recently. But before we got to production week I made a batch of biscotti flavored with dried Michigan cherries and white baking chips. As you can see here, I often serve them as dessert at the end of an Italian dinner, along with a little scoop of pistachio almond ice cream. The recipe is below.
Dried Cherry Biscotti
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8" teaspoon of salt
1 cup of dried cherries
¾ cup white baking chips (regular or mini)
3 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly until combined. Stir in cherries and baking chips. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly.
Shape the dough into a log about 12” long and 4” wide and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a cutting board and slice the log into 12” slices. Place the slices back on the baking sheet, cut side down, and bake at 325° F. for seven minutes. Turn the slices over and bake for an additional 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Notes
--Biscotti (literally “twice baked”) are an Italian cookie originating in Prato and traditionally made with almonds. Chocolate and anise versions are also popular.
--I was inspired to make these when some friends of mine brought me back dried cherries from Michigan. The combination of tart and sweet is delicious. You can substitute dried cranberries if you prefer.
--Many biscotti recipes call to dip them in melted chocolate or almond bark, but resist the temptation with this recipe—these are plenty sweet as is! You can even reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup and still get good results.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8" teaspoon of salt
1 cup of dried cherries
¾ cup white baking chips (regular or mini)
3 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly until combined. Stir in cherries and baking chips. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly.
Shape the dough into a log about 12” long and 4” wide and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a cutting board and slice the log into 12” slices. Place the slices back on the baking sheet, cut side down, and bake at 325° F. for seven minutes. Turn the slices over and bake for an additional 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Notes
--Biscotti (literally “twice baked”) are an Italian cookie originating in Prato and traditionally made with almonds. Chocolate and anise versions are also popular.
--I was inspired to make these when some friends of mine brought me back dried cherries from Michigan. The combination of tart and sweet is delicious. You can substitute dried cranberries if you prefer.
--Many biscotti recipes call to dip them in melted chocolate or almond bark, but resist the temptation with this recipe—these are plenty sweet as is! You can even reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup and still get good results.
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