Margherita de Ferrara (Gina
M. Bruce)
 Early Seaman’s biscuits, also known as hard tack, were also among the first version of biscotti. They were the perfect food for sailors who were at sea for months at a time on long ocean voyages. The biscuits were thoroughly baked to draw out the moisture, becoming a cracker-like food that that was resistant to mold. Biscotti were a favorite of Christopher Columbus who relied on them on his long sea voyage in the 15th century. Historians believe that the first Italian biscotti were first baked in 13th century Tuscany in the in a city called Prato. [2] During Columbus's time they were served with Vin Santo ("Holy Wine"), a concentrated wine made from late-harvested grapes. They became so popular that every province developed their own flavored version. Because of their long storage ability they were an ideal food for sailors, soldiers, and fisherman.   In North America, the word "biscotti" is used to describe a long, dry, hard, twice-baked cookie with a curved top and flat bottom designed for dunking into wine or coffee. [1] The Origin Of Biscotti. The Nibble, May 2006. [2] http://whatscookingamerica.net/Glossary/B.htm [3] http://joyofbaking.com/biscotti/Biscotti.html 
How They Are Made? The dough is rolled into logs and baked once. They are then sliced on a diagonal while still warm and baked a second time to make them firm and crunchy. What They Are Made With? From the traditional anise/almond Biscotti to decadent new varieties like chocolate and cherry vanilla; Biscotti are made with the finest and freshest ingredients. And, although butter, sugar, eggs, almonds and flour are the base, Biscotti are gaining popularity for being a light, satisfying and relatively low in fat and calorie snack. Biscotti Recipes Below you will find a recipe for aniseed flavored biscotti which were most likely among the original biscotti made for the warriors and sailors of Rome. However, I despise the taste of aniseed and therefore chose not to make these. I did make a Savory Biscotti with goat cheese and herbs de Provence and another Rosemary-Parmesan Biscotti made with rosemary, parmesan cheese and walnuts. All these ingredients would be available in Italy and Greece during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. I used unbleached flower and the freshest ingredient I could find, some from my own garden. In the attempt to make my own goat cheese I failed miserably, however I have made my own butter since I was child. I always had fun making butter. I did grate the parmesan cheese even though it was purchase as where other ingredients such as eggs, baking powder and such.
Method The oven was preheated to 360°F and a 9 x 13” non-stick pan was greased with butter. Eggs were beaten and strained to remove membranes. Sugar, flour and anise seed was added to the mixture which was beaten with a wooden spoon for ten minutes. After this time no air had been incorporated into the batter, and it was transferred to a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. The batter was then allowed to rest for thirty minutes. Following resting the biscotti batter was re-beaten for five minutes. This was then poured into the greased pan and leveled by gently tapping the pan on the counter. The biscotti were cooked for thirty-five minutes, until the batter came away from the side of the pan and the center was springy and dry to the touch. The cake was turned onto a cutting board; the edges and bottom were then trimmed with a sharp knife. This trimming, while not requested in the original recipe was performed as the bottom and sides of the biscotti were very dark, almost black. As we are given instructions to stop the biscotti from browning in other recipes it was assumed that they should be as pale as possible. Thus the dark cooked edges were removed to improve aesthetic appearance. The cake was then cut down the middle, resulting in two 4.5” wide pieces; these pieces were then sliced thinly to yield the biscotti. Biscotti were arranged on baking sheets lined with cooking parchment and returned to the oven that had been reduced in temperature to 210°F. Every 15 minutes the biscotti were removed from the oven and turned over, the biscotti were cooked for 90 minutes. After which time the biscotti were moved to a rack, the oven was turned off and the biscotti were returned to the oven overnight to complete drying. Rosemary-Parmesan Biscotti 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, Parmesan, pepper, rosemary and walnuts. Whisk together 4 of the eggs and the water. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Stir to combine. Lightly flour your hands and a work surface; turn out the dough and knead until smooth. Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a 2 1/2-inch-thick log. Spray a baking sheet with the olive oil and place the dough logs on it. Whisk the remaining egg and brush it over the dough. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and then cut the biscotti on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place on the baking sheet cut side down, using 2 pans if necessary. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Savory Biscotti
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, herbs de Provence, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and goat cheese together until smooth. Beat in the sugar and eggs. In batches, add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. With damp hands, form the dough into a 13-inch-long, 3 1/2-inch-wide loaf. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes. Transfer the loaf to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife, cut the log on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Presentations:  Entered in Kingdom competition, October 2011
|
