Baking With Olive Oil

It’s no secret that I must have something sweet with my morning cappuccino. As of late the cupboard has been bare. I just haven’t felt like baking. There have been any number of days when I took butter out of the fridge thinking I would bake something, only to put it back in later in the day.

Yesterday I was reading a cookbook about olive oil-From Tree To Table-by Peggy Knickerbocker when I came upon this recipe for biscotti made with olive oil. My “go to’ biscotti recipe doesn’t use any butter or oil and it’s a favorite, but I thought it might be nice to try some thing new.

This recipe reminds me somewhat of the biscotti that we made in one of the cooking classes during a Panini Girl Cooks In Lucca tour. There’s a subtle flavor of orange and the finished product is a little bit “cakier” than my usual recipe. Nonetheless, these taste exactly like something you would find in Tuscany and with every bite I’ll make believe I’m back there gazing out the window over the rooftops of Lucca…

Hazelnut And Almond Biscotti

3/4 cup almonds
3/4 cup hazelnuts
2 large oranges, zested
3 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds and hazelnuts on two different baking sheets and toast in oven for about 5 minutes. Remove and place hazelnuts in a dish towel and rub off skins. Coarsely chop almonds and hazelnuts together and place in bowl of a mixer. Add chopped orange zest and toss.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt and add to nuts. Mix to combine. Add eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and olive oil and mix well. You can also do this by hand rather than in a mixer.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide it into four equal portions. Shape each portion into a log 10″ by 2″. Lay logs on parchment lined baking sheets, leaving at least 2″ between the logs. With the palm of your hand, flatten the logs slightly.

Bake until barely firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Transfer logs to a cutting board and cut into diagonal slices about 3/4″ thick. Lower the oven to 325 degrees. Return the slices to the baking sheets and return to oven. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until firm and almost crisp. Transfer to wire racks to cool. The biscotti will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container.