Biscotti are delicious crunchy Italian cookies. In Italian, the name “biscotti” itself means twice baked which refers to the baking method for this particular cookie. These cookies are first baked in a log form, then cut into slices and baked again until golden brown & crispy. Since these cookies pack and travel so well, they make for wonderful gifts. Traditionally, biscotti are dipped in coffee until slightly softened and then eaten.

My Indian version of biscotti is made with toasted pistachios and lovely warm Indian spices, just perfect for dipping in your afternoon tea (chai).


PISTACHIO BISCOTTI – Indian Style

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (or almond extract)
1 cup sugar, to taste
3½ cups all purpose flour (maida)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon powder
¼ tsp ground cardamom powder
¼ tsp ground allspice powder
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted & coarsely chopped

METHOD:

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric stand mixer (or a hand held mixer) to beat the softened butter until it is light in color and fluffy. Now gradually & slowly add the eggs in one-by-one. Once the eggs have been fully incorporated, add the vanilla extract and the sugar. Beat together to combine well.

Now slowly start adding in the flour along with the baking powder & spices (ground cinnamon powder, ground cardamom powder, ground allspice powder, nutmeg & salt). Mix well to combine all of the ingredients into a smooth dough. Now fold in the pistachios using a wooden spoon until they are all evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Next, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and cut the dough in half. Now roll each half into a log shape (about 12” long and 1” high). Place both logs on an ungreased cookie sheet about 3-4” apart. Then bake for about 25-30 minutes or until just lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then on a cutting board using a serrated knife – carefully cut each log (like a loaf of bread) into 1” thick diagonal slices. You should get about 12 biscotti/log.

Then arrange the biscotti on the same cookie sheet and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes/side, turning once. The cookies should be golden brown & crispy but not crumbly. Let cool & enjoy with your favorite cup of tea.


VARIATIONS:

There are many variations to this recipe – add your favorite spices like ground ginger, ground clove, ground fennels seeds….

Instead of pistachios, you can add almonds or cashews instead.



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