Bon Appetit Desserts (158 page)

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1⅓ cups sugar

1½ tablespoons finely grated lemon peel

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups chopped walnuts

1 large egg, beaten to blend

Raw sugar

Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and lemon peel in large bowl until blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just to blend after each addition. Beat in lemon juice, then flour mixture. Stir in walnuts.

Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Place each piece on sheet of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap as aid, form dough into 8-inch-long logs; press each slightly, flattening to 2½-inch-wide logs. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 3 hours.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line heavy large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap logs and set atop plastic. Brush tops of logs with egg. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Lift logs from plastic and transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly. Bake until golden brown and just firm to touch, about 50 minutes. Carefully transfer to rack and cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

Line 2 heavy rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using long serrated knife, carefully cut logs crosswise into ⅓-inch-thick slices. Arrange biscotti, cut side down, on prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies until golden brown around edges, about 20 minutes. Cool completely (biscotti will crisp as they cool).

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Hazelnut-Cinnamon Biscotti

Biscotti
means “twice-baked” in Italian; this extra-crisp cookie is delicious dunked into coffee or into a sweet dessert wine.
Makes about 2½ dozen

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked

¾ cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray heavy large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Coarsely chop hazelnuts in processor. Transfer to small bowl. Combine sugar and butter in processor; blend until fluffy. Add orange peel and vanilla and blend well. Add eggs 1 at a time, blending just until incorporated after each addition. Add flour mixture; using on/off turns, mix until just blended. Add chopped hazelnuts; using on/off turns, mix until just blended.

Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 9-inch-long, 2-inch-wide log. Space logs 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Flatten each to 12-inch-long, 2½-inch-wide log. Bake until very light golden and firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Using metal spatula, carefully transfer logs to work surface. Using serrated knife, cut logs diagonally into ¾-inch-wide slices. Place slices, cut side down, on large baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until light golden and firm, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer biscotti to racks and cool.

DO AHEAD
:
Cookies can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Pistachio, Raspberry, and White Chocolate Biscotti

This recipe calls for one end of the biscotti to be dipped into melted chocolate, but don’t let that limit your decorating fun. For variety, dip half the biscotti in melted white chocolate and the other half in dark chocolate. Or, if desired, add a few drops of food coloring to the melted white chocolate and drizzle over the biscotti in contrasting colors. Or simply drizzle the melted chocolate over the undipped biscotti.
Makes about 3 dozen

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons canola oil

2½ teaspoons almond extract

¾ cup raw unsalted natural pistachios

1 cup dried raspberries or chopped dried strawberries (about 5 ounces)

½ cup chopped high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)

8 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina) and/or 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, oil, and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in pistachios, dried berries, and ½ cup chopped white chocolate. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls in two 12-inch-long strips on prepared baking sheet, spacing strips 3 inches apart. Using wet fingertips, shape each strip into 3-inch-wide log, pressing evenly (logs may look slightly lumpy).

Bake logs until lightly browned and almost firm to touch, about 30 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Carefully transfer logs to cutting board. Line same baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut each log crosswise into generous ½-inch-thick slices. Stand biscotti upright, spacing about ¼ inch apart, in 3 rows on prepared baking sheet. Bake until pale golden (biscotti may be soft but will firm as they cool), about 20 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet.

Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 8 ounces chopped white chocolate in medium glass bowl. Place 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate in another medium glass bowl, if desired. Microwave separately on low power in 10-second intervals, stirring in between intervals, just until chocolate is soft to touch, about 40 seconds total (do not overheat or chocolate will burn or seize). Stir chocolate until smooth.

Dip 1 end or 1 side of each biscotti in chocolate; place on prepared baking sheet. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Do Ahead
:
Can be made ahead. Arrange in single layer in airtight containers and chill up to 5 days, or freeze up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate-Orange Biscotti

Orange liqueur and finely grated orange peel combine to bring a bright citrus note to chocolaty, nutty, crisp cookies. Because the dough is slightly sticky, dust your hands with flour while forming the logs. These are delicious served with orange sorbet.
Makes about 3 dozen

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel

1 cup pecans, lightly toasted, coarsely chopped

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Line heavy large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then Grand Marnier and orange peel. Add flour mixture and beat until blended. Stir in pecans and chocolate. Gather dough together; divide in half. Wrap in plastic and freeze 20 minutes to firm.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Using floured hands, form each dough piece into 14-inch-long, 2½-inch-wide log. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer parchment with logs to rack. Cool 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

Place 1 log on cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut log on diagonal into ½-inch-thick slices. Stand slices upright on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining log.

Bake biscotti until dry to touch and pale golden, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

Do Ahead
:
Cookies can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Vanilla Meringues

These meringues are sweet, crispy treats. For variety, fold in chocolate chips, or substitute almond extract for the vanilla and sprinkle the meringues with sliced almonds before baking. If adding the extra goodies, drop the meringue from a spoon instead of piping it onto the baking sheet. Using superfine sugar (which dissolves easily) is the key to making meringues that are smooth, not grainy.
Makes about 2½ dozen