Earl Grey and Almond Biscotti with White Chocolate Amaretto Topping

To download a copy of the recipe for Earl Grey and Almond Biscotti with White Chocolate-Amaretto Topping , click HERE. 

Long before being popularized by Captain Picard, Earl Grey – black tea scented with Mediterranean bergamot oil - was recognized as a refreshing and flavorful tea with a distinct, wonderful fragrance.

It’s highly versatile too; aside from its primary use for brewing hot or even iced tea drinks, Earl Grey’s lovely flavor and aroma have led to another application among its devotees: as an ingredient in cookies, cakes and other baked goods. In this week’s recipe, Earl Grey lends its special qualities to delicious almond biscotti. (For good measure, we also add a white chocolate-amaretto topping!)

Although, as with most biscotti, Italy’s twice-baked gift to the pastry world, these are very firm textured cookies intended to be dunked in coffee, tea or wine, I’ve been able to enjoy them “undunked” as well.

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin:

• To toast the slivered almonds, spread them evenly in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F, stirring after two or three minutes, until they're lightly browned. Let them cool completely before adding them to the biscotti batter.

• If you prefer, you can substitute almond extract for Amaretto.

• Earl Grey works well because it has both a pleasant taste and a lovely aroma, but feel free to experiment with other types of flavored teas to vary the result.

• The finished biscotti should be sealed in an air tight container. As with anything topped with chocolate, they should be ok if kept out at room temperature. If the room is warm, however, it’s usually best to refrigerate them to keep the topping from melting.

This recipe makes about 46 3-1/4” biscotti.

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the biscotti dough: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 Tbsp Earl Grey tea from tea bags (or 3 Tbsp loose Earl Grey tea leaves); 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 cup sugar; 3/8 firm-cup butter substitute; 1 teaspoon Amaretto; 2 egg-substitute eggs; and 3/4 cup chopped slivered almonds, toasted.

For the topping: 5 ounces white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate bar; 2-1/2 Tbsp Amaretto; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

To make the biscotti dough:

Prepare 2 Tbsp of ground Earl Grey tea, either by cutting open about six teabags or by grinding 3 Tbsp of loose tea leaves in a mini-processor or using a mortar and pestle. (When ground, the volume of the loose tea leaves will be reduced to about 2 Tbsp.)

Chop the toasted slivered almonds into small bits.

Stir together flour, tea, baking powder and salt, and set aside. When properly mixed, the dark flecks of the tea should look evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

Combine sugar, butter substitute and Amaretto in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (about 2 minutes).

Continue beating, adding the egg-substitute eggs 1 at a time, until the mixture is creamy (about 1 minute).

Stir in the almonds by hand.

Gently add the flour mixture just until a dough forms. Be careful not to overwork the dough.

Wrap the dough and refrigerate for about 1-1/2 hours.

To form and bake the biscotti:

After the dough has finished chilling, begin preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half of dough on lightly floured surface into a log about 12” long and about 1- 1/2-inches in diameter.

Place logs about 4 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon baking pad. Flatten each log to 2-inch width.

Bake until the edges begin to brown, about 25-30 minutes, turning the baking pan half-way for even baking. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes on the baking sheet.

While the logs are resting, reduce oven to 300°F.

Carefully cut the logs diagonally into 1/2-inch slices with sharp knife lightly coated with butter substitute.

Place the slices on the same cookie sheet, cut-side down. Don’t pack the biscotti too tight; there should be enough room for air to circulate. Use two trays if necessary.

Bake for about 9 minutes with the trays staggered to allow for good air and heat circulation.

Turn each biscotto over, turn the trays around and swap the position of the trays for even baking. Bake for another 9 minutes.

When done, the biscotti should be crisp and very light brown on both sides. Place on cooling racks. Cool completely.

To make the topping:

Combine the topping ingredients in the bowl of a double-boiler. (If necessary, you can improvise a double boiler by fitting a boil over the top of a saucepan with some water in it.) Heat over medium heat till melted.

Let stand for about two minutes and stir till smooth.

To add the topping to the biscotti:

After the biscotti have cooled, dip the top (rounded) part of each into the topping to coat.

Let the excess drip from off.

Place the biscotti on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon pad to cool for about 1 hour to allow the topping to set.

To download a copy of the recipe for Earl Grey and Almond Biscotti with White Chocolate-Amaretto Topping , click HERE.

All that‘s left now is to brew the coffee or tea, or pour the wine, and enjoy a delicious treat! After your first biscotto, you’ll be glad you have so many more!

Please visit again next week for another great-tasting, home-cook friendly recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Strawberry Lovers’ Strawberry Chiffon Pie with Graham Cracker Crust and Shaved White Chocolate

To download a copy of the recipe for Strawberry Lovers’ Strawberry Chiffon Pie with Graham Cracker Crust and Shaved White Chocolate, click HERE. 

With the warm weather now upon us, a cool and refreshing dessert seemed like a good idea. That’s where Strawberry Lovers’ Strawberry Chiffon Pie with Graham Cracker Crust and Shaved White Chocolate comes in. Rather than being made with boxed flavored gelatin, or even unflavored gelatin mixed with fruit juice, this chiffon gets its deeper flavor by using fresh-made strawberry puree.

Another plus: reducing the fat by making the chiffon with non-fat powdered milk instead of the usual packaged whipped topping, and using low-fat graham crackers to form the crust. 

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin:

• When forming the pie shell, be sure to press the graham cracker mixture down tight enough to prevent it from falling apart when sliced.

• Much credit to the American Heart Association for publishing recipes that show how easy it is to use non-fat powdered milk to create a fluffy, guilt-free chiffon.

This recipe makes one very delicious 9” pie.

Here’s what you’ll need.

For the graham cracker crust: 1 cup low-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 12 crackers); 3 Tbsp sugar; 3 Tbsp plus 2 tsp butter substitute, melted and warm; pinch ground cinnamon; and a pinch ground nutmeg.

For the strawberry topping: ½ cup sugar; juice of ½ lemon; ½ lb. hulled fresh strawberries; pinch dry rosemary; salt; and ½ Tbsp firm-textured butter substitute.

For the strawberry chiffon: 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1/4 ounce); 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and rough-chopped; ½ cup sugar, divided; ½ cup non-fat dry milk; and the juice of one lemon.

For the garnish: shaved white chocolate.

To prepare the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the graham crackers in a food storage bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and, using a rolling pin, crush to a sand-like consistency.

Place the crushed graham crackers in a bowl, add the remaining crust ingredients, and mix well. The finished mixture should have the consistency of wet sand.

Spread the batter out in a 9” pie tin. Press down using your fingers or the flat bottom of a glass. (Reserve any leftover graham cracker mixture for use as a garnish on the finished pie.)

Bake until light brown and firm, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

While the pie shell is baking, prepare the strawberry topping as follows:

After placing a small glass plate in the freezer, place ½ cup of sugar and the juice of ½ lemon into a medium saucepan. Mix until combined, then cook over a low heat until the sugar mixture is melted.

Crush ½ pound of hulled strawberries by hand into the saucepan. (Crushing by hand will give the finished topping a lightly chunky texture.) Add a pinch of rosemary, salt, and ½ Tbsp of butter substitute. Cook to a thick but spreadable texture. (You can check the thickness of the cooled liquid by placing a few drops of the hot liquid onto the plate you put in the freezer and letting it cool.) When the topping has the desired texture, set aside to cool until needed.

To make the chiffon filling:

Using a blender or food processor, puree the chopped strawberries completely. (This should make about 3 cups of puree.)

Place a bowl, mixer blades, and 1 cup of the puree in the freezer until very cold.

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of puree to a boil.

Pour into a bowl, add the gelatin and stir.

Add ¼ cup sugar, and stir well. Let the mixture cool for about 20 minutes.

Place the non-fat dry milk and ice-cold puree in a mixing bowl.

Beat on high speed 3-4 minutes, or until soft peaks form.

Add lemon juice and continue beating. Gradually add ¼ cup of sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.

Gently mix the cooled gelatin mixture into the beaten dry milk mixture.

To complete and serve the pie:

Pour the filling into pie shell, cover and refrigerate three hours or until firm.

(If there’s leftover chiffon mixture after filling the pie shell, pour it into cups and chill along with the pie until firm. It makes a great dessert treat!)

After the chiffon pie and topping have cooled, gently spread the topping over the chiffon.

If you like, sprinkle some of the leftover graham cracker mixture over the top of the pie. Garnish with shaved white chocolate to serve.

To download a copy of the recipe for Strawberry Lovers’ Strawberry Chiffon Pie with Graham Cracker Crust and Shaved White Chocolate, click HERE.

Wishing you all a great, refreshing start to the summer season!

Please visit again next week for another delightful treat for your cooking and eating pleasure!  Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)