How To Make Sour Cherry & Orange Biscotti
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20 minutes prep time
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60 minutes cook time
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Easy
These sour cherry and orange biscotti are the perfect coffee accompaniment to have on standby for when you have guests over. Dried sour cherries are famed for their tart flavour – the initial taste is a delicate sweetness, with a sour hit to the back of the mouth making them extremely moreish. The flavour combines perfectly with orange zest and almonds.
How do you shape a biscotti?
Roll your dough into a sausage shape roughly 4cm in diameter and slice, before placing in the oven. During the cooking process the sausage shape will relax and spread across the baking tray. After the first bake, cut the dough into the distinctive squashed slices, then bake again.
Why is biscotti so hard?
Baking biscotti twice gives them that extra crunch. Biscotti means ‘twice cooked’ in Italian – 'bis' is twice, and 'cotti' is cooked. The crunch of biscotti makes them fantastic for dipping into coffee.
What is the difference between Biscotti and cantucci?
Cantucci are a type of biscotti. Cantucci are traditionally made with almonds, whereas biscotti are made with a more varied selection of ingredients. In Umbria and and Lazio almonds are replaced with hazelnuts, and called tozzetti.
How long do homemade biscotti keep?
Stored in an airtight container they'll last for 3 weeks, meaning they're an easy treat to whip out for unexpected guests in the festive weeks ahead. Or place a few in a cellophane bag for an easy, edible Christmas gift.
Do biscotti freeze well?
Raw biscotti dough can be frozen, and then defrosted before baking. The baked biscuits will not freeze so well, as they will become soggy when defrosted.
Ingredients Serves: 16
- 125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 125g caster sugar
- 1-2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 70g sour cherries, roughly chopped
- 75g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
- Zest of 1 orange
Method for biscotti biscuits
- Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas mark 3.
- Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar.
- Add half the beaten egg a little at a time to form a stiff dough. You may not need all the egg. The dough shouldn't be sticky.
- Mix in the sour cherries, blanched almonds and orange zest.
- Tip onto a floured work surface and knead until well combined.
- Roll the dough into a sausage shape approximately 4cm in diameter and transfer to the baking tray. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Allow the biscotti to cool for 10 minutes, then use a serrated knife to cut into slices 2-3cm thick.
- Place the slice back on the baking tray cut side up and bake for a further 20-30 minutes, turning them over half way through. The biscotti should be dry and a very light golden brown. They will keep for 3 weeks in an airtight container.
