PRIME SEASON
Decadent desserts! Is there a better way to cheer yourself up on a blustery winter’s day than with a hot cup of cocoa, coffee, or tea? Yes! By pairing that hot cup of cocoa, coffee, or tea with some homeEliz abeth made biscotti! You don’t have to be a pastry Morse Read chef to make these elegant, mouth-watering treats – and they make wonderful holiday gifts, too. The secret to making these crunchy biscotti (“twice-baked”) is to begin with an off-the-shelf cake mix instead of having to mix a laundry-list of baking ingredients. The crucial secret to being a successful biscotti baker is to assemble all the ingredients and utensils before you start and to keep a sharp eye on the clock – exact timing will make the difference between rows of delectable, crisp biscotti instead of a baking tray scattered with scorched chunks. So give it a try (even if you do end up with a lot of crumbs). Try them on top of oatmeal, mixed with yogurt, or as nibbles out of a small bowl.
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S ou th C oast P r ime T imes
Biscotti Baking Basics Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Select two cookie trays that will fit side-by-side on one mid-oven rack, rather than on separate racks – that way you won’t have to rotate the trays half-way through. Line each tray with a sheet of parchment paper (you can order them pre-cut online). In a large mixing bowl, whisk your favorite flavored 14.25 oz. cake mix with ½ cup all-purpose flour and your selected dry add-ins like cocoa powder, lemon zest, or spices. In a measuring cup, whisk two large eggs and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and your selected wet add-ins like flavored extract, honey or syrups. Make a
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hollow in the center of your dry ingredients, then use a stiff spoon to mix in the wet ingredients. Once your dry/wet ingredients are blended thoroughly, add any extra ingredients – chopped nuts, flavored morsel chips, raisins/chopped dried fruit, flaked coconut, etc. Again, use that stiff spoon to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients – but if the dough gets too stiff or crumbly, pour some vegetable oil on your hands and knead the dough to ensure that everything is uniformly moist throughout, leaving no pockets of dry flour. Incorporate the dry ingredients that inevitably end up in the bottom of your bowl by rotating and flipping the dough as you knead it. You should end up with a (reasonably) smooth, clay-like dough. Split the dough into two sections, one for each tray, and roll/shape each into a 10-12” log. Moisten your fingers and gently pat the log on the parchment paper so that it’s uniformly about 3” wide and about a ½-3/4” thick. Bake for 19-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove the trays from the oven
