Cherry Almond Biscotti
My mom is visiting this week and being a huge help with the kids while Ben is gone. Along with her lovely self she brought a couple of recipes with her that she thought we could try together. This biscotti is one of those and I am so very glad that we made them! These are delicious.
Almond is one of the flavors that I think of when I think of my mother. That and pears. She adores pears. These biscotti have sliced almonds and cherries that have been soaked in amaretto which makes the almond flavor even more present and the cherries nice and plump. I wonder how these would be with dried pears…
The prep and cooking method for these is similar to most biscotti I have made. One of the things that is different is on the second bake. Instead of baking the sliced biscotti directly on the baking sheet you place them on wire racks in the oven to bake which I think crisps them up more evenly. I’ll be doing this again for future biscotti. Try these as an accompaniment to your morning or afternoon coffee. Or crumble them up over some ice cream. Or just eat them, that’s the way my 2 year old seems to like them best.
Cherry Almond Biscotti
From a page torn from some Martha Stewart magazine Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup amaretto liquor
- 3 cups flour (more for dusting)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs (3 for the cookies and 1 for brushing)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
- raw sugar for sprinkling on the tops
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Mix cherries and amaretto in a small saucepan and heat over medium low for about 5 minutes. Liquid should just simmer. Drain and reserve the liquid.
- Sift flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar until thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing after each. Mix in 2 tablespoons of cherry juice and vanilla.
- Add in the flour and mix just to combine, then add in cherries and almonds and mix to combine.
- Flour a work surface and turn dough out. Divide in half and shape into two logs, about 12 inches long and 2 inches thick.
- Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Pat logs down to about 3/4 inch thickness, about 4 inches wide and 12-14 inches long.
- Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. The logs will be dark, but shouldn’t be burned. Check the bottom of the logs at 25 minutes and remove from the oven if they seem dark. Transfer to wire racks to cool for 20 minutes.
- Slice logs at an angle to the thickness you like, 15-20 slices per log. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
- Transfer biscotti back to the rack and lay the slices on their sides. You will have to do this in 2 batches. Place the rack on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, flip biscotti over and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Cook longer for a crispier biscotti and less for a softer one. Let cool. Store in an airtight container for a few days or freeze to enjoy later.