Hazelnut, aka almond biscotti, was a fairly simple assignment for Tuesdays with Dorie. If you live in a town of 6,000 people and the nearest big market is more than 30 miles away, you have to find something to substitute for hazelnuts. I chose almonds after "googling" hazelnut substitute. I roasted the almonds for 15 minues at 350 degrees, then chopped them with a knife, rather than use a nut chopper. I wanted big chunks of almonds, not miniscule pieces.
What I learned from this recipe is to bake the biscotti on a cooling rack for the second baking. That way you don't have to flip each cookie halfway through. What a concept! I loved it.
The biscotti turned out perfectly after 10 minutes in the oven at 300 degrees.. I hate jaw-breaking biscotti that one needs to keep the dentist's phone number nearby when taking the first bite. This biscotti was pretty crunchy (there was no fat in the recipe which tends to make it softer), but it wasn't so hard one had to fear an impending dental crown. One thing that might have made the recipe better was a half teaspoon of almond extract to boost the almond taste a bit. I added brandy and vanilla, but I found I couldn't taste either in the final product. But, all in all, the taste was good, perfect with a morning cup of coffee!
Your biscotti look wonderful. I love hazelnuts, but not biscotti! I did not participate in this recipe, but your photos make me rethink my decision!
ReplyDeleteLovely looking biscotti! I used hazelnuts and Frangelico, I found the flavor quite good! I have made almond biscotti before and used Amaretto as flavor…very good!
ReplyDeleteI am sure the almonds were nice. The only reason I used hazelnuts was that I had a small packet of them hiding in the recesses of the freezer :-)
ReplyDeleteSince the posting of the TWD biscotti recipe...there's so many more happy dentists in the world!
ReplyDeleteI love your last picture: beautiful!
A job well done!
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