Another recipe from my sweet Anna. These she made one evening when we were just back from our holiday. They came from an old Swedish cookbook she has on her shelf. We had them alongside a bowl of vanilla ice-cream with spoonfuls of fresh passionfruit. Delicious, comforting, with a warm earthiness. I love handling the dough with my hands, rolling and pressing it out in a childlike manner. I especially love the aroma that fills the whole house, giving it a loved and lived-in feel.
I have made these twice, and cannot seem to get them as crunchy as that night as Anna’s place. She did mention that there is a delicate balance of taking them out perfectly done, or leaving them in that extra minute, only to come out a little bit too well done. I have managed to do neither and under-baking them. But I will persist, and bake them five more minutes longer next time.
Oh, and the children love them!! I like to eat mine, still warm from the oven, with a cup of tea in hand, in the cosiest corner of my house.
chocolate-like biscotti biscuits
200g butter (room temperature)
200g sugar
1 egg
1 tab vanilla essence
320g all-purpose flour
4 tab cocoa powder
1tspn baking powder
1 beaten egg
Set the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Cover a biscuit tray with baking paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Set aside.
With your hands combine the butter, sugar, beaten egg and vanilla essence. (because it can be a glorious mess it is good to have everything organised in front of you)
Fold in the flour mixture. When well mixed, bring together. Divide the mixture into three or four sections. Roughly roll out into a log and flatten with your hands to about 1/2 cm thick. Do this with the other sections of the dough. Brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle roughly with chopped almonds or coconut or your favourite nuts. Bake for 12 – 15 mins. Allow to cool and then cut into biscotti-like slices.
note : Anna told me the secret to these biscuits is to make them quite thin. You want the thickness to be about 1/2 cm.
Goodness shared from Stacey
