ALMOND BISCOTTI: In this episode of The Secret Sauce with Grossy Pelosi, we visit Food52 founder Amanda Hesser's home kitchen to bake up a batch of crispy almond biscotti!
"There was a period in the 1990s when, if you went to my mom’s, grandmother’s, or sister’s house, you’d find the cookie jar filled with Corby Kummer’s biscotti. We made it so often that we considered starting a business around it. The recipe produces a sticky dough that challenges you to summon your fastest scraping and folding moves; our plan was to produce and shape the sticky mass and sell it frozen so that home bakers would have the satisfaction of twice-baking the biscotti without having to deal with the messy dough. We never started the business but we continue to this day to make the biscotti, especially around the holidays." ~Amanda
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction
00:55 - Preparing the Ingredients
02:27 - Making the Dough
05:27 - Shaping and the First Bake
07:30 - Cutting and the Second Bake
08:58 - Taste Test!
THE RECIPE:
Ingredients:
1 cup (140g) whole, unblanched almonds
Butter, for baking sheet
2 cups (250g) unbleached all-purpose flour, more for baking sheet
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
Directions:
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Step 2
Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until they are toasted and beginning to release their oil. A good indication that they are done is when you can smell them. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely. Lower your oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).
Step 3
Butter and flour a large baking sheet. Mix the 2 cups flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Scoop out 1/3 cup (43g) and set aside. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork and stir in the vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Gradually draw in the dry ingredients, mixing the dough until it begins to clump together in a shaggy mess. Do this as quickly and lightly as possible. You do not want to work the flour, you just want the dough to hold together. A pastry scraper helps to gather the unwieldy dough. Dust a work surface with the reserved dry ingredients. Turn out the dough onto the work surface. Gather it into a disk using the pastry scraper, and knead it lightly to help it cohere. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
Step 4
Pat out the dough into a rough 7 x 5-inch (17 x 13-cm) rectangle and press in the almonds. Adding the reserved flour mixture when needed, fold the dough like a business letter, and cut in half lengthwise with a pastry scraper. Flour your hands and gently roll each half into a long rope about 2 inches (5 cm) thick. Transfer one rope to the baking sheet and pat it lightly to flatten to 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) thick. Repeat with the other half, making sure that the halves are at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart on the baking sheet. (Otherwise they will grow together in the oven.) Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. It should feel almost bready when pressed with a finger.
Step 5
Immediately after removing from the oven, use a spatula to transfer each half to a cutting board. Using a large chef's knife and working in firm downward motions, cut each half diagonally into 1/2-inch (1.2-cm) slices. Lay the slices, cut-sides down, on the baking sheet and return to the oven to dry and toast, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on baking racks. These cookies improve with age, and if stored in a cookie jar or tin, they will keep for several weeks.
PRODUCTS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO:
Rosti Pebble Margrethe Nested Mixing Bowl Set: f52.co/3qTGRG7
Nordic Ware Aluminum Baking Sheet: f52.co/3qTGRG7
MORE ABOUT THE SECRET SAUCE:
Join host and Food52 Resident Dan “Grossy” Pelosi as he joins community members in their own kitchens, uncovering heirloom family recipes, hearing the heartwarming stories behind them, and learning how to make how to make each special dish: • The Secret Sauce with ...
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