| The Gallivanting Gourmand |
 Greg Duncan  His previous columns are archived HERE. |
Posted 12.16.05 Montreal These are not Girl Scout Cookies, dearie
A good cup of coffee can go along way towards helping you make it through a dark winter day. Personally, I hit the wall at about 3:00 in the afternoon as the season of diminished light progresses.
A good cup of java helps get over the hump and a cookie or two gets the blood sugar back up to speed. Some folks prefer a cup of tea and a classic cookie is the perfect accompaniment with any hot drink.
Enter the biscotti, a cookie of a different sort. They cost an arm and a leg at most cafes and yet are so easy to make. This Italian crunchy treat has been a tradition since the glory days of Rome.
Biscotti (bee-SKAWT-tee) -means, "twice cooked." The word biscotto is derived from bis (twice) and cotto (cooked). Biscotti are also the generic term for cookies in Italian.
The dough is formed into logs and baked until golden brown. The logs are then sliced, and the individual biscotti are baked again to give them their characteristic dryness. The shelf life of biscotti is three to four months without preservatives or additives. Other countries have their version of this cookie - Dutch rusk, French biscotte, and the German zwieback.
The shape of biscotti makes them highly suited to dunking, which was my original point here. If you have ever dunked then you know that the resulting texture is extremely satisfying to the tooth and palate.
Make these delicious treats to serve with coffees and teas throughout the holidays -- if you are looking for a nice homemade kitchen gift to distribute to friends then you will have found an impressive and easy way to show your love.
Just wrap the biscotti in shiny cellophane, tie with a ribbon and present them with a half-pound of good Amaretto flavored coffee.
Kahlua Fudge Pecan Biscotti
2 T. Kahlua Liqueur
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a large cookie sheet.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended. Add Kahlua and beat until blended. Add flour mixture until just blended, and then knead in nuts.
With floured hands (dough will be very sticky), divide dough in half. Shape into two 12" x 3" loaves and place a few inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake 30 minutes.
Cool the loaf about 10 minutes, then cut each loaf crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place cookies cut-side down on the same cookie sheet. Return to oven and bake 15 - 20 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool. |