L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 42 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES T ry to imagine a time without freezers, fridges, or canned food and we can begin to understand how cooking methods became not only popular but necessary. The ancient Romans learned that baking their bread twice made it durable and allowed it to be preserved for longer periods of time. These was necessary for those travelling on long journeys, as well as for soldiers in times of war, sailors, and fishermen. Although this method was born of an initial need for convenience and survival, over time recipes were adapted and flavors were added to provide a wide collection of twice baked foods that were both convenient and tasty. The original form of biscotti was free of fats and did not have all those great nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate that we are accustomed to seeing today. This made for a great snack that had a tremendous shelf life. Biscotti, one of the beloved sweets of Italians, derives its meaning from the Latin word, "bis" meaning twice and "coctus" meaning cooked. The process of baking them twice, results in a dry and crunchy texture. Today the word biscotti in Italy is a general name given to all sorts of cookies, but here in North America we associate the term with the classic looking twice- cooked biscuit full of nuts that is synonymous with the Tuscan region of Italy. The first bake is to cook the loaf of dough while the second bake takes place after slicing the loaf and serves to dry them thoroughly. During the Renaissance period, these cookies showed up again in Tuscany, as a baker began serving them with a sweet wine from the region called Vin Santo. Dipping the dry biscotti was the perfect way to soak up the dessert wine, which added to the reasons why biscotti became such a popular cookie! These biscotti were baked with almonds from Prato, a city in Tuscany, the region where American biscotti are called cantucci. Cantucci are, indeed, the original, traditional biscotti. As the popularity and demand for cantucci/biscotti grew, each province in Italy emerged with its own specialty version. Bakers started to add their own flavors, spices, dried fruits, and different nuts as well as chocolate. The combinations are endless! Served alongside coffee or even ice cream, everyone will agree biscotti are a people's favorite. With this recipe, we have adapted a traditional biscotti recipe from our cookbook Nonna's Way, A Collection of Classic Italian Cookies, adding some of our favorite Italian flavors! Biscotti with espresso, Nutella, and hazelnuts dipped in melted white chocolate and finished off with a sprinkle of crushed espresso beans, which bring this biscotti from good to great! Ingredients: ● 3 large eggs ● 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar ● 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) baking powder ● 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour ● 1/4 cup (60ml) icing sugar ● 1 tsp (5ml) instant espresso coffee powder ● 1 tsp (5ml) coffee liqueur ● 1/2 cup (125ml) Nutella, chocolate hazelnut spread ● 2 cups (500 mL, 300 g) roasted hazelnuts, skins removed ● icing sugar to sprinkle on work surface ● white chocolate wafers for melting, 340 g, (we used Candy Melts by Wilton) ● whole espresso beans, chopped, for sprinkling Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Prepare a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. 3. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and granulated sugar together for about 20 minutes. 4. Combine the baking powder and flour then add to the egg mixture a little at a time while continuing to mix. 5. Add the 1/4 cup icing sugar, coffee powder, coffee liqueur and mix to combine. 6. Next add in the chocolate hazelnut spread and mix until combined. 7. Finally, add the hazelnuts and mix with a wooden spoon to disperse evenly in the dough. 8. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. 9. Sprinkle some icing sugar onto a work surface. 10. Roll and flatten each dough portion into a log about 1 inch high and 2 inches wide. 11. Place onto the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. 12. Remove from oven and let cool just slightly. 13. Place onto a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut the log on a diagonal making ¾ inch wide slices. 14. Place them back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 10 minutes or until they just start to get color on the cut sides. 15. Remove from the oven, and let cool on a rack. 16. Melt white chocolate wafers according to package directions. 17. Dip one half of each cookie into the chocolate, place on a rack and sprinkle some of the chopped espresso beans on top. 18. Let the chocolate set completely. With the addition of chocolate and hazelnut spread in these biscotti, we recommend freezing them in food-safe airtight containers or bags. Enjoy! These delicious biscotti put together three of Italy's favorite things: coffee, hazelnuts and Nutella!. Photo: Nonna's Way Sprinkle these biscotti with crushed espresso beans if you wish to give them an extra kick. Photo: Nonna's Way ANNA ROMANO & ANGELA DESALVO Espresso and nutella biscotti

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