I have now made these 8 times since my husband bought me Ina Garten’s new cookbook and I know that these are going to be a long time favorite!
I made a few changes which are noted below.
CHERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI ( From “Cooking for Jeffrey” by Ina Garten)
12 Tbsp. ( 1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter (I used Earth Balance margarine)
1 Cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (I used 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs, one separated
2 Tsp. Pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups almond meal or almond flour ( I used cashew flour by pureeing toasted unsalted cashews in my cuisinart… I think it made these biscotti even more decadent because of the toasted rich cashew flavor)
1 Tsp. baking powder
1/2 Tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup whole dried cherries (I omitted)
Turbinado sugar, such as sugar in the raw
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300degrees
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with pale attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low gradually add the 2 whole eggs, the egg yolk (reserve the egg white), and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing only until combined. Scrape down the bowl and beater and make sure all the ingredients are combined. Stir in the pistachios and cherries.
Roll the dough into a ball on a well floured board and cut in half. With floured hands, roll each piece into a cylinder about 11 inches long by 2 inches in diameter and place them 3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place the reserved egg white in a bowl and beat with a whisk for 15 seconds. Brush the logs with the egg white (save the rest) and sprinkle each with 1 Tsp turbinado sugar. Bake for 45 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for 30 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 275 degrees.
Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. With a serrated knife, slice the biscotti 1/2″ thick at a full 45 degree angle. Place the slices cut side up on the prepared sheet pans. Brush them with the egg white and sprinkle generously with the turbinado sugar. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, turning each slice once, until browned and fully baked. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.
- I made this recipe the above way with brushing the egg white on the biscotti and then turning them over etc. however I subsequently made this recipe without the added egg white and without turning the biscotti over and I found they were just as delicious and even better as the egg white hadn’t really spread nicely and didn’t truly add anything spectacular.
- I also like my biscotti crispy so I cut mine about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick and baked them for 5 minutes longer at the end.
