Savory Biscotti Recipes

Deep down, everyone has something that they feel they make the best.  For me, that would biscotti.  The process comes easy to me and many times when we travel and I know there is a place in town noted for their biscotti, we stop for a sample, and I must say that mine definitely rank up there .  They are not too sweet, full of interesting flavors, booze (normally), and most importantly-all your teeth will remain intact and pain free from biting into one of my biscotti!  The real reason I love biscotti is that they are low in sugar and fat compared to many other treats.  I also love the potential they have for combining different flavors together and being able to taste all of them in one bite.  When I was baking for a local coffee shop last year, the owner made really delicious soups and wanted something other than a roll or crackers to serve with the soup.  I suggested savory biscotti and off to work I went researching and experimenting with savory ingredients.  I am sharing a few and they are recipes that I have tweaked along the way.  If you are calorie counting or want something reasonably low in fat- beware of a lot of savory biscotti recipes out there as they have a lot more butter and fat in them than many of the sweet biscotti recipes.  I had to slim them down before I would be happy serving them to people.

 They are great to dip in soup and pair the flavor of your biscotti with the flavor of your soup and you will be spoiled for life!  The three that I would like to share are Sundried Tomato Biscotti, which contain fresh herbs and asiago cheese, the Bacon Cheddar Biscotti which are rich and would go awesome with a potato soup, and the Lemon Sage with Gouda Biscotti that I made up myself.  

Sun-dried Tomato Biscotti

Adapted from: White Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomato Biscotti

The Washington Post, December 15, 2009

MAKE AHEAD: The dough needs 2 hours' rest in the refrigerator, or up to overnight. The dough can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen in a re-sealable plastic food storage bag for up to 3 months. Baked biscotti will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Makes 4-6 dozen biscotti

Ingredients:
4 cups flour
1 3/4 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 1/4 cups coarsely grated pecorino romano or asiago cheese (combo)
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 T olive oil
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 T prepared basil pesto
3t fresh rosemary
3 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for brushing the dough
3/4 cup 2% milk

Directions:

1.  Combine the flour, pepper, baking powder, salt and cheeses in the bowl of a food processor; pulse briefly to combine.

Add the butter and pulse briefly.  Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes but do not process.

2.  Combine the 3 beaten eggs and the milk in a measuring cup, add to the food processor bowl, pulsing as you pour. Process just until the egg mixture, pesto, fresh herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes are incorporated and the dough begins to form a ball.

3.  Turn out the dough onto a large piece of wax paper, patting it into a disk. Wrap in the paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

4.  Position oven racks in the middle and lower third of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator; if it is very firm let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 11 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick.

Place 2 logs on each baking sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops of the logs with the remaining beaten egg, if using. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom; then bake for 15 minutes so the logs are golden on top and springy to the touch.(**If you have a convection bake setting on your oven, use it!  This makes a huge difference-the inside stays more tender and the outside gets crisper. Temp should be 325 if using this setting.)

5.  Use a wide spatula to transfer the logs to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes; keep the baking sheets at hand because they will be used to bake the sliced biscotti.
(Wipe the paper or liners clean as needed.)

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Working with one log at a time, place it on a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut crosswise on the diagonal with a slow, sawing motion into 1/3-inch-thick slices, arranging them closely together on the baking sheets as you go. Bake both sheets for 15 minutes (on the middle and lower racks), then rotate them from top to bottom and front to back; bake for 15 minutes, until the biscotti are golden and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Source:

From cookbook author Domenica Marchetti.

55 calories, 3g fat, 2g saturated fat, 14mg cholesterol, 81mg sodium, 5g carbohydrates, n/a dietary fiber, n/a sugar, 2g protein.

Bacon Cheddar Biscotti

Adapted from http://homemadebacon.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/bacon-projects-bacon-cheddar-biscotti

1 cup chopped bacon (Trader Joe's Apple Smoked Bacon) Use good bacon!
4 eggs, room temp

1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese ( Trader Joe's White-aged Cheddar) Use good cheese!

2 cups ap flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne

 1: Cook bacon (in the microwave is fine) and chop. Let cool.

2: Whisk eggs and cheddar. Then stir in remaining dry ingredients. Do not overwork dough. Turn out and stir in bacon.

3: Form into a log and cook in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove and put log on a cutting board.

4: Slice loaf into slices, lower heat to 300 degrees, and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until dried and crunchy.

5: Let cool to room temp and serve with soup or topped with tomato jam.

Makes 24 biscotti.

Lemon Sage with Gouda Biscotti

Makes 18 biscotti

4 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese (the harder, more aged the better)

2 cup plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chopped dried onion

3T fresh chopped sage

2t toasted coriander seeds
Zest and juice of a lemon (preferably organic)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees (I use 325 convection mode) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

-Put the eggs and cheese in a food processor and process until yellow and thick, about a minute.

-Add the flour, baking powder, salt and coriander and pulse three or four times, just to integrate the dry ingredients; you don’t want to overwork the gluten in the flour.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it until it holds together — it may be a bit crumbly at first. Shape the dough into an 8- to 10-inch log, transfer to the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten.

3. Bake until the log begins to color and is firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes, cut on the bias into half-inch slices. Lay the biscotti flat on the baking sheet and bake until crisp and toasted, 15 minutes; turn and toast the second side for another 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely before serving.