Cook Like a Rock Star - Anne Burrell [80]
4 Once all the butter has been added, let the caramel cool. To serve, put 4 or 5 cookies on each plate with a little dipping dish of about ¼ cup of the sauce. Sprinkle the sauce with a few grains of rock salt.
Try not to eat them all at once!
MAKES: 35 TO 50 • TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR
Biscotti are traditional Italian cookies that you bake twice—they’re super-hard and crunchy because they’re meant to be dunkers. What I love about them is that you can flavor them any way you like. I love dried cherries and almonds (a killer combo!), but you can have fun swapping in other dried fruits, nuts, or spices if you want. Biscotti are the perfect dipping cookie—so whip up a batch and grab an espresso, some milk, or better yet, a glass of Vin Santo!
MISE EN PLACE
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
½ cup whole blanched almonds,toasted
¾ cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and granulated sugar and mix, scraping down the sides as needed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the 2 whole eggs one at a time, stirring to combine thoroughly after each addition. Add the vanilla.
3 Gently mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Stir until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Fold in the almonds and cherries.
4 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into two logs, about the length of the baking sheet, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
5 Beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the logs with the egg wash, sprinkle them with the turbinado sugar, and bake for 30 minutes.
6 Remove the logs from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and use a serrated knife to cut them into ½-inch slices—on the bias—while they are still warm (slicing them while warm will prevent crumbling). Keep the ends to nibble on while the other biscotti are baking.
7 Lay the biscotti back on the baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes to toast and harden.
8 Let the biscotti cool and store in an airtight container.
Start dipping!
Blueberry Nectarine Crisp
SERVES: 6 TO 8 • TIME: ABOUT 45 MINUTES
Anything with a crisp topping makes me a happy, happy girl. Crisps are homey and rustic and they make the most of whatever fruit is in season. When nectarines and blueberries are at the farmers’ market at the same time, this combo is totally amazing. Crisps also work beautifully as individual portions or as one nice big one. I like to serve mine with lots of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream … mmmmm.
MISE EN PLACE
FOR THE FILLING
2 pints blueberries, picked through for stems and crushed berries
5 nectarines, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch chunks
½ cup granulated sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup cornstarch
FOR THE TOPPING
1¼ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pea-size pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Apples, peaches, pears, plums, berries—you can substitute pretty much any fruit or combination of fruit that you like here. Have fun!
FOR THE FILLING
1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the blueberries, nectarines, sugar, lemon zest, and cornstarch.
3 Place the fruit mixture in a wide, shallow baking dish (2 to 2½ quarts) or eight 1-cup ramekins.
FOR THE TOPPING
1 In a food processor, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and pulse.
2 Add the butter and vanilla and pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture looks dry and crumbly. Add 1 tablespoon water and pulse again until the mixture starts to come together. If the mixture still seems dry, add 1 more tablespoon water and pulse again.