The other day I was browsing my usual blogs and came across a recipe for biscotti over on Small Measures. I rarely eat biscotti and certainly have never made it, but after reading the raves and perhaps salivating a little too much, I thought it was as good a day as any to try it out. With ingredients like fig and pistachio, it had to be good. And it was.
As I was making this recipe I had to stop and admire the ingredients. I just love how pretty the pistachios are and the figs… what a crazy looking flower. Anywho, let’s snap back from lala land. The batter is a breeze to make, similar to what you might make for cookies. After the dough has come together, you’ll simply fold in the figs and pistachios and plop it on the pan, shaping it into a rectangle.
There are two baking phases of biscotti. First you simply place the rectangle of dough in the oven and wait. When that’s nice and golden, you’ll pull it out, let it cool for a bit, then cut it into little slices and bake it again.
When they made their final exit from the oven it was hard to keep my hands off them. First of all, they smelled delicious. Second, they were so dang lovely! One of them happened to break as I was transferring them to the cooling rack, and no one wants to look at a broken biscotti right? I took one for the team and took a bite. Oh, deliciousness! This biscotti was crunchy without being hard, which in my opinion is the perfect texture. The dough is slightly sweet with tiny little hits of salt that made me super happy. Then you have the pistachios and figs that work so well together, especially with the cornmeal. Try it out and make yourself happy.
fig, pistachio, orange & cornmeal biscotti
from small measures
makes approximately 14-16, depending on thickness of slices
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
3 tsp. orange extract*
1 c. dried figs, chopped
1 c. unsalted pistachios, roasted & chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
Add butter to mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth.
Add sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Scrape down sides of mixer, add eggs one at a time, and beat until well incorporated.
Add orange extract and beat until combined.
Reduce mixer speed to low; add flour mixture in two batches until just incorporated.
Remove bowl from mixer; stir in figs and pistachios until well-incorporated.
Using a spatula, scrape dough out onto parchment-lined baking sheet in a log shape. You want it to be roughly 3 1/2 inches wide by 14 inches long. Use your hands to pat it into shape, if you need to.
Bake 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.
Remove from oven, place baking pan on a wire cooling rack, and allow to cool 15 minutes.
Using a serrated knife, cut the log into slices 1/2-inch thick.
Place slices back onto parchment-lined baking sheet and cook for 15-17 minutes rotating sheet half-way through, until the edges brown.
Allow to cool on a wire rack.
October 6th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I’ve never seen a biscotti combination like this. Sounds scrumptious.
October 6th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Oh my…biscottis are the yummiest!
October 6th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
kelly, i think you should know that pistachios are in my top five favorite foods. this post has won my heart!!
October 6th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Glad you enjoyed them as much as I did!
October 6th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Wow. These look yummy. Thanks for sharing!
October 7th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I love the adition of cornmeal; I can only imagine the texture and the flavors. Delicious! I am bookmarking this.
October 10th, 2009 at 7:58 am
This is such an enjoyable blog to read…even if I don’t reproduce the recipes I can almost taste the outcome simply by reading through the day’s entry. Nice writing style and a good selection of pictures. : )
October 12th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
two of my favorites! pistachios and figs!! wish i was at your coffee break!
October 16th, 2009 at 12:43 am
It was a very nice idea! Just wanna say thank you for the information you have shared. Just continue writing this kind of post. I will be your loyal reader. Thanks again.
January 22nd, 2010 at 5:44 am
i made it with fresh fiigs and orange zest. dreamy. a frequent biscotti i make is with fennel seeds. no other flavours. comes out wonderfully to go with coffee
July 13th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
I made these over the weekend and they are honestly one of the best things I’ve ever made. They blew my mind! I agree with other comments that the cornmeal is an awesome addition. I used dried mission figs and orange juice along with a little orange zest and everything came out like a dream. Perfect crunch, not too hard, not too soft. I got tons of compliments and cannot wait to make this again.