A biscotti recipe comes in many varieties. The basic biscotti recipe is a mixture of two parts flour for every one part of sugar, with a sufficient amount of eggs to create a batter. Then, flavorings such as anise, nuts, and chocolate are added in addition to baking powder. Traditionally, a biscotti recipe will at least have the anise flavoring in it. The cookie dough formed for biscotti are laid out in two long slabs that are cut into 1/2-inch (1.27-centimeter) thick pieces, baked for about 25 minutes, then cut into individual cookies, and then reheated for a shorter period of time to dry them out. The longer the biscotti cookies are baked the second time, the harder they become. The original method for baking biscotti was that they were twice-baked in order to be stored away for long periods of time.

What are biscotti? Biscotti are essentially crisp Italian cookies that are traditionally flavored with anise. The word "biscotti" derives from the medieval Latin word "bis coctus", which means "twice cooked", from the fact that biscotti were twice-cooked to maintain their freshness for a long period of time, as mentioned. "Biscotti" is an Italian word and is the plural form of the Italian word "biscotto". In English, the word "biscotti" is translated as - you guessed it - biscuit. The following Passover biscotti recipe is but one of many versions of Passover biscotti recipes.

A biscotti recipe can be adjusted for the Passover / Pesach festival by substituting matzo cake meal for the flour. The following biscotti recipe is a good Passover / Pesach recipe for kids that comes complete with apricots and pistachios (hey, we have to make the Passover biscotti recipe look Italian in some way!).

Passover Biscotti Recipe

1/4 pound butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups matzo cake meal
1 1/2 cup ground pistachios
1 1/2 cup whole pistachios
1 cup dried apricots
Grated rind of 1 orange

Instructions for the Passover Biscotti recipe:

  1. Using stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter or margarine and sugar.
  2. Add eggs.
  3. Blend in cake meal, nuts, dried apricots, and rind.
  4. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
  5. Turn out dough onto work surface sprinkled with cake meal.
  6. Form dough into 4 logs approximately 10 inches (25.40 centimeters) long.
  7. Bake in 350 degree Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius or Centigrade) oven for about 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
  8. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  9. Slice logs at 1/2-inch (1.27-centimeter) intervals and transfer to baking sheet.
  10. Bake in 275 degree Fahrenheit (140 degrees Celsius or Centigrade) oven until surface feels dry.

Yield: approximately 36.


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