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Recipe Detail Page
Fruit & Nut Biscotti
Summer 2012
Even though this twice-baked biscuit is loaded with dried fruit and nuts, it is not too sweet. In fact, the crispy texture and complex flavours make it the perfect vehicle for the cheese.
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 mL) firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
¼ tsp (1 mL) baking soda
¼ tsp (1 mL) baking powder
¾ cup (175 mL) coarsely chopped
Thompson seedless raisins
¾ cup (175 mL) coarsely chopped pecans
½ cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped walnuts
½ cup (125 mL) chopped dried apple
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped dried apricots
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped dates
2 tbsp (30 mL) roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
3 small or medium eggs
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 Adjust oven rack to centre position. Preheat to 350°F (180°C).
2 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in raisins, pecans, walnuts, apple, apricots, dates, pumpkin seeds and lemon zest. Toss to coat the fruit and nuts with the flour mixture.
3 In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil. Make a well in the flour mixture. Add the wet mixture and lightly beat. Gradually incorporate the flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir just until you get a somewhat sticky, dough-like mixture. Lightly wet your hands with cool water and lightly knead the dough in the bowl for a minute. Bring the dough together into a ball and transfer to the parchment- lined baking sheet. Re-dampen your hands and pat the dough into a log about 3 inches (8 cm) wide and slightly raised at the top.
4 Bake for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 300°F (150°C) and bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes away clean when inserted into the centre of the loaf. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes.
5 Increase oven temperature to 350° F (180°C).
6 Line the baking sheet with a fresh sheet of parchment paper. On a cutting board using a bread knife, slice biscotti loaf into ¼-inchthick (5-mm) slices. Lay the slices on their sides on the baking sheet and crisp in the hot oven for 14 minutes, turning them halfway through. The biscotti should appear dry. If not, leave them in the oven for a couple more minutes on each side. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Makes 16 to 18 biscotti
