Almond Apricot Biscotti Food

APRICOT AND ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove enough zest from one large orange to make 1 tsp. set aside.
• Squeeze the orange to obtain 2 teaspoons of orange juice.
• Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, eggs, salt, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla for 2 to 3 minutes, until thick and pale.
• Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl a little bit at a time. Add in the chopped apricots and almonds and mix on medium-low speed until all the ingredients are moistened.
• Let the dough rest a couple of minutes in the mixer bowl.
• Scrape out the dough with a rubber spatula onto a lined cookie sheet (I used a sheet for each log) and divide the dough in half.
• Spray hands with cooking spray. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, then shape each into a flattened log, about 3 inches wide and 12 inches long. If you are using one baking tray, place logs a few inches apart on the baking sheet so they won't stick together as they bake. If you have two sheets, place one log on each lined baking sheet.
• Bake until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed, about 20-25 minutes.
• Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let logs cool completely (could take a full 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Transfer the first loaf carefully to a cutting board. When the logs have completely cooled down, begin slicing the first log by pressing a very sharp knife straight down into the dough. Place the cookies back on the baking sheet, cut sides up. Keep in mind that the when you slice on a bigger angle, you will get much longer cookies. If you slice short angles, you'll get small biscotti. Place the second log on the cutting board and repeat process cutting out the cookie pieces and placing on the baking sheet.
• Bake 7 minutes, flip biscotti, and bake 7 minutes more.
• Set the sheet on a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. After 3 days, safest to store in the refrigerator.

ALMOND-APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Line 18x12x1-inch cookie sheet (or jellyroll pan) with foil (or parchment paper).
• Butter and flour foil (not the parchment).
• Combine flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger in food processor.
• Process until fine meal forms.
• Add white chocolate and process until finely chopped.
• Add toasted almonds and chop coarsely, using 5 to 7 on/off pulses.
• Beat eggs, brandy and extract in large bowl (You might want to use a counter top mixer).
• Add flour mixture and apricots to liquid mixture.
• Stir until moist dough forms.
• Drop dough by spoonfuls in three evenly spaced 12-inch-long strips on prepared sheet.
• Moisten fingertips and shape each dough strip into 2-inch-wide log.
• Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees (F).
• Bake until logs are light brown, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer sheet to rack and cool completely.
• Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees (F).
• Transfer biscotti to work surface.
• Cut logs from sides of pan if necessary.
• Using very sharp knife, cut each log crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide slices.
• Arrange half of cookies cut side down on cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 minutes.
• Gently turn cookies over and bake 10 more minutes.
• Transfer cookies to cooling rack.
• Repeat baking with remaining cookies.
• Cool cookies completely before serving or storing.

APRICOT ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• preheat oven to 350f degrees.
• In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, apricots and almonds.
• Make a well in centre of flour mixture.
• Drop in eggs, egg whites, margarine and almond extract, whisk until blended.
• Stir in dry ingredients until combined.
• Form dough into a ball.
• Place on a baking sheet.
• With slightly wet hands, form dough into a 16 inch long log.
• Flatten log to 1 inch thickness.
• Bake until light brown and cracked on top, about 30 minutes.
• Cool log on baking sheet for 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325f degrees.
• Place warm log on cutting board.
• Using a serrated knife, cut log on sharp diagonal into 1/3 inch slices.
• Arrange on baking sheet.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until pale golden brown.
• Cool biscotti on baking sheet (biscotti will harden while cooling).
• Store biscotti in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
• variation: Substitute golden raisins or dried cranberries for the apricots.

ALMOND APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add whole egg, milk, and extracts, stirring with a fork until a soft dough forms, then knead in almonds.
• Divide dough between 2 sheets of wax paper, then form into 2 equal mounds and flatten each mound into a 5-inch disk. Put half of apricots in center of 1 disk and fold dough over apricots to enclose them (use wax paper as an aid if necessary), then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Form into a 14- by 2 1/2-inch log lengthwise on 1 side of baking sheet, spreading dough with wet hands. Make another log with remaining dough and apricots, arranging it about 4 inches from first log.
• Brush logs with egg wash and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and firm, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 20 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F while logs cool.
• Carefully transfer baked logs to a cutting board using 2 wide metal spatulas, then cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch-wide slices with a large heavy knife.
• Line baking sheet with a clean sheet of parchment. Stand slices, curved sides up, 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet and bake in upper third of oven until biscotti are dry, about 30 minutes (they will become hard as they cool). Transfer biscotti to rack to cool.

APRICOT-PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed, using paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and beat on medium until coarse crumbs form. With mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition; mix in apricots, pistachios, and fennel seeds. Continue to mix until dough forms a ball, about 1 minute.
• On a parchment-lined baking sheet, shape dough into two 2-by-12-inch logs. Bake until dry and set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices. Bake on parchment-lined sheets until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on sheets on racks. (Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.)

THE BEST ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Adjust rack to center position and heat the oven to 350 degree. Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.
• Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nuts in a large bowl and stir to combine. In a small bowl combine the eggs, butter and vanilla and whisk to fully combine.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, mix to combine until a rough dough forms.
• Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead a couple of times until the dough comes together, adding extra flour sparingly and only if necessary. Start to form the dough into a big, fat cigar and cut it in half. Form each half into a cigar about 1 inch thick, 2 inches wide and about 12 inches long. Place them onto the cookie sheet and lightly press with fingers to slightly flat cigars.
• Bake for 25 minutes reversing the pan halfway through. The bars will be firm to the touch and just slightly browned. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 300 degrees. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
• Remove cookies to a cutting board using two spatulas. Using a serrated knife, slice the bars on an angle about 1/2 inch tick to form the biscotti. Lay them back on the cookie sheet with either cut side down and place back in oven for 15 minutes. Turn each cookie to expose the other cut side and place in oven for another 15 minutes. Let cool on a rack to room temperature. Place cookies in an airtight container.

ALMOND CRANBERRY APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Mix flour and baking powder together& set aside.
• In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla and grated orange rind.
• Add almonds, cranberries and apricots.
• Add flour mixture to wet mixture.
• The dough will be sticky.
• Transfer onto a lightly floured work surface.
• Divide dough into two pieces.
• Flour your hands and roll one piece into a log almost the length of your cookie sheet.
• Place on the cookie sheet and flatten to about ½ an inch.
• Both logs should fit lengthwise on your cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a cutting board and cut diagonally into ¾" slices.
• Stand cookies on their side and return to a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and flip each cookie onto the other side.
• Bake another 10 minutes.
• Let cool on a rack.
• You can use 1 cup of dried fruit mixture in any amount of each that you choose; it doesn't have to be 1/3 of each.

WHITE CHOCOLATE APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat butter, sugar and eggs together in large bowl.
• Add in melted, cooled white chocolate.
• Add all remaining ingredients making sure to blend well.
• Dough will probably be sticky.
• Grease and flour 2 cookie sheets.
• Spoon half of the cookie dough evenly onto both cookie sheets and shape into a long wide log.
• Bake for 30 minutes then cool for 10 minutes.
• Cut into 3/4" wide slices.
• Return cookies back to sheet and cook another 20 minutes, making sure to turn cookies once during last baking.
• Cool and store in covered container.

AMAZING APRICOT AND TOASTED ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Line two, 18x12x1-inch cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (I prefer parchment paper but if you use foil, butter and flour it first.). Combine the first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until it forms a fine meal. Add white chocolate chips and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Add the toasted almonds and chop coarsely, using 6 to 8 on/off turns.
• Beat the eggs, brandy and almond extract together in large bowl. Add the flour mixture and the diced apricots and stir until a moist dough forms. Divide the dough into four portions.
• Form the dough into four, 14-inch-long by 2-inch-wide logs and place them on the two prepared sheets, spacing evenly. If the dough is too sticky, moisten fingertips before you shape it. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
• While the dough is resting in the refrigerator, position a rack in the center of oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake one sheet at a time until light golden brown, or about 25-30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a rack and cool completely. Repeat the process with the second sheet.
• Reduce the heat to 300°F. Transfer the logs to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut each log crosswise into ½- to ¾- inch wide slices. Arrange half of the biscotti cut side down on cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes.
• Gently turn the biscotti over and bake 7-8 minutes longer. Do not over cook. Transfer to racks to cool. Repeat baking the remaining biscotti. Cool completely.