Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [69]
Biscotti are twice-baked Italian cookies. They’re dry and crisp, traditionally dunked into vin santo, red wine, or espresso. Cornmeal, a surprise ingredient here, makes these lemony biscotti very crunchy. Since one egg and a tiny amount of vanilla are the only liquids in this recipe, take extra care to measure the dry ingredients accurately.
¼ cup hazelnuts
1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature; 3 tablespoons pasteurized egg substitute such as Egg Beaters, or 6 quail eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting the work surface
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornmeal
½ teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dried currants, or 2 tablespoons chopped black raisins
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the hazelnuts on a lipped baking sheet (lipped so they won’t roll off); bake for 7 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned, stirring once or twice. Maintain the oven’s temperature, but cool the nuts for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then pour them into a clean hand towel. Fold them into the towel and rub off their papery skins by rolling them between your hands inside the towel. Roughly chop the nuts with a heavy knife or in a mini food processor. Set them aside.
2. Lightly beat the egg, egg substitute, or quail eggs and vanilla in a small bowl with a fork; set aside. For baking the cookies, use a nonstick cookie sheet, or a regular one lined with either parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.
3. Stir the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until well combined. Mix in the currants, lemon zest, ginger, and the chopped nuts; stir in the beaten egg. Continue stirring, although the dough will be quite dry, until the egg is thoroughly incorporated. Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly, then mix the dough by hand, kneading it in the bowl until it holds together. If the dough does not cohere (most likely because of the day’s humidity or the viscosity of your flour’s glutens), add water in 1-teaspoon increments, mixing by hand after each addition until it forms a compact but slightly dry dough.
4. Dust a clean, dry work surface with a small amount of flour. Turn the dough onto it, sprinkle lightly with flour, then roll the dough with your palms into a 6-inch-long log, about 2 inches in diameter, pressing down gently against the work surface as you form the log so that you get rid of any air pockets in the dough.
5. Place this log on the cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes, until slightly cracked but barely browned. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the log to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
6. Using a serrated knife, cut off the ends of the log, discard them, then slice the remaining log into 8 cookies. If you wish, make diagonal cuts across the log, so as to make larger cookies.
7. Return these cookies to the cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. The cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
CHEWY CHOCOLATE ALMOND WAFERS makes 8 cookies
Thanks to the melted chocolate, these wafers have the fudgy consistency of fallen chocolate meringues. For best results, use a good-quality chocolate, not one larded with hydrogenated fat. Remove the cookies from the oven when they’re still soft, then cool them completely before you enjoy them.
Unsalted butter for greasing the baking sheet
2 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds
cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons pasteurized egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters; or 4 quail eggs
½ ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped, then melted and cooled slightly (to melt chocolate, see page 17)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon salt
1. Position the