Almond Cookies (biscotti Di Prato)

Prato, just to the northwest of Florence, is famous for its
deliciously dry and crunchy, almond-studded biscotti. Although
biscotti has come to refer to almost any Italian cookie, biscotti
means “twice cooked” and originally referred only to cookies like
these that are literally baked twice. These Tuscan biscotti, adapted
from Carol Field’s version in The Italian Baker, are traditionally
served for dipping in Vin Santo, the sweet dessert wine of the
region, but I find they are also a wonderful complement to any fruit
dessert.

1 cup whole almonds 2 1/4 cups sifted unbleached white four 1 cup
sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt 3 large eggs 1
teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon
water

1. Preheat the oven to 350-F.

2. Spread the almonds out on a baking sheet in a single layer and
bake them for 7 minutes. Allow to cool while you prepare the biscotti
dough.

3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
If you are using an electric mixer, turn the machine on to the
slowest speed and mix the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, one at a
time, beating well after each addition. When the dough forms a ball
on the beaters, add the vanilla and almonds and continue beating
until they are distributed throughout the batter. The batter will be
quite sticky. (A hand mixer is probably not strong enough to handle
this dough. You can mix the dough by hand.)

4. Scrape the batter out of the bowl onto a heavily floured work
surface. Using a pastry scraper or rubber spatula, divide the dough
into two equal pieces. Flour your hands and roll each piece of dough
into the flour to completely coat it. Form each piece into a log
approximately 10 inches long. Place the logs side by side on a
well-greased baking sheet. They will spread slightly. Brush with the
egg yolk-and-water mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden
brown. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the logs to a
cutting board.

5. Using a large chef’s knife, slice the logs crosswise on the
diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Place the cut pieces, cut side
down, back onto the baking sheet with about 1 inch of space between
the pieces. Lower the heat to 325-F and bake for 15 minutes longer.
Cool on racks. These will keep frozen for several months.

Keywords: Italian Baker, Scanned, SJK From
: Sallie Krebs, Sat 07 Oct 95 13:30, Area: COOKING