Fact Sheet: Biscotti, ShortBreads & Cookies
Table of Contents
Orange Cranberry Biscotti
300gms all-purpose plain flour
200gms castor sugar
¾ cup dried sweetened cranberries
½ cup almonds
85gms unsalted butter melted
2 eggs
1 orange zest only
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a large baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper. Spread the almonds onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, rub the orange zest into the granulated sugar.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt with the sugar and make a well in the centre.
Add beaten eggs and melted butter and mix together with the dry ingredients.
As the mixture comes together, add the almonds and cranberries and form into a dough.
Spread almonds onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Leave the oven on. Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with non-stick parchment paper. Pour the granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl and finely grate the orange zest into the bowl and onto the sugar. With your fingertips or the back of a spoon, rub the orange zest into the sugar. The sugar will become an orange colour. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
Break the eggs into the well and the melted, cooled butter
Whisk together the wet ingredients slowly incorporating part of the dry ingredients.
Before the dry ingredients are completely mixed in, switch to a wooden spoon or clean hands to finish incorporating the dry ingredients.
As the mixture starts to come together add the cooled almond and the dried sweetened cranberries.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very lightly to form a ball
Divide in thirds and roll each portion into a log. Place logs on the prepared baking sheet and bake.
Cut logs while warm into 20 slices then arrange cut side up on baking trays. Bake until crunchy.
The mixture can be sticky and may be refrigerated for 30 minutes to make the dough easier to handle. Otherwise, you can go right onto the next step.
Divide the dough into three equal portions.
Roll each portion into a 30cm log. Place logs onto a lined baking sheet and, this is optional, using a wet hand, smooth the surface of the dough.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned and firm.
Removed from the oven and cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 300°F/150°C.
While still warm, cut each log into 20 slices. Check my tips below on how to cut biscotti easily.
Return the biscotti cut side up to the baking sheets and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until beginning to dry. The biscotti will become crisp as they cool.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Mustaccioli Cookies
Ingredients
▢2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour
▢⅔ cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
▢½ cup (75 grams) almonds
▢3 tablespoons (15grams/1 ounce) unsweetened cocoa powder
▢¼ cup (75 grams) honey
▢⅓ cup (80mls) extra virgin olive oil
▢2 tablespoons dark rum
▢3 tablespoons warm water
▢1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢½ teaspoon ground cloves
▢½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
▢1 teaspoon baking powder
▢1 orange grated zest
▢¼ teaspoon salt
▢12 ounces (340 grams) bittersweet chocolate
Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Spread the almonds out onto a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes until fragrant. Remove and allow to cool before chopping finely but not like ground almonds.
In a large bowl mix the flour with the sugar, sifted cocoa, chopped almonds, spices, grated orange peel, baking powder and salt. Add the honey, extra virgin olive oil, dark rum, and water. Combine and knead until you have a smooth, soft but not sticky dough.
Cover with cling film and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge but preferably overnight.
Before rolling out the cookies, preheat the oven at 180°C and line two large baking sheets with nonstick parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge, flatten a little with your hand and dust lightly on both sides with flour. Roll out the dough between two sheets of nonstick parchment paper to a thickness of about ½ inch (7-8mm).
Cut out the shapes using a knife and a ruler.
Transfer the cookies to a baking tray lined with baking paper, placing them slightly apart.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.
Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
To glaze the mostaccioli cookies, melt the chocolate cut into small pieces in the microwave or in a bain-marie. Use two forks to dip the cookies into the melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off then put them back on the parchment paper or on a wire rack to allow the chocolate to set.
Cuccidati (coo-chi-dah-tee)
Anzac Biscuits
Ingredients
125 grams (4oz) butter, chopped
2 tablespoons golden syrup or treacle (see tips)
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup (90g) rolled oats (see tips)
1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (60g) desiccated coconut
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease two large oven trays; line with baking paper.
Stir butter and syrup in a medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Stir in combined soda and the water, then remaining ingredients. Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls; place 5cm (2in) apart on lined trays, then flatten slightly. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden. Cool biscuits on trays.
Gingerbread Man Cookies
Ingredients
115gms unsalted butter, creamy and soft
115gms light brown sugar
115gms unsulfured baking molasses
15gms vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp Crystal kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/8 ts freshly grated nutmeg
A few cracks of medium-ground black pepper
270gms cake flour plus additional for dusting
Royal icing to decorate, optional
Combine butter, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, cloves, coriander, nutmeg, and black pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to moisten, then increase to medium and beat until fluffy, soft, and light, about 5 minutes, pausing to scrape the bowl and beater about halfway through.
Reduce mixing speed to low and add the flour all at once; continue mixing until well combined. Scrape the bowl and beater well with a flexible spatula, then knead against the sides of the bowl to form a smooth ball. Divide in half and flatten into discs. If comfortable working with a soft dough, use immediately; if not, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cool and firm (timing will vary depending on personal preference).
If refrigerated for longer than a few hours, let the dough stand at room temperature until softened to about 21°C before use, then knead on a bare, unfloured surface until pliable and smooth.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). On a flour-dusted surface, roll a portion of dough into a 7-inch square. Sprinkle with flour, flip to sprinkle the other side, and continue roll until 1/8 inch thick, repositioning as needed to ensure the dough does not stick. After rolling, brush away the excess flour and slide an offset spatula under the dough to loosen before stamping into shapes with assorted cutters. Arrange cut-outs on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch between each. Gather scraps, knead, re-roll, and cut as before (any scraps leftover from this second stage can be baked off to grind as cookie crumbs). Repeat with the remaining portion of dough.
Bake the gingerbread until firm and dry to the touch, about 12 minutes, and cool to room temperature directly on the baking sheet. If you like, decorate as desired with royal icing, and dry completely before storage (this can take 12-24 hours depending on thickness of design, ambient humidity, and air flow).
With or without frosting, the gingerbread cookies will last up to 3 weeks at cool room temperature in an airtight container.
Tips for Rolling Out Gingerbread Dough
The dough itself will be ready to roll as soon as it’s made; by dividing it in half, it will be much easier to handle, prevent sticking, and ensure an even thickness throughout.
As with any rolled dough, use ample flour both above and below the dough to prevent sticking. After rolling it to about seven inches, I like to dust the dough with more flour and then give it a flip before continuing to roll.
This ensures the bottom is well coated with flour, and capable of sliding across the work surface rather than sticking along the way.
The dough is cool, and relatively non-absorbent, so there’s no reason to skimp on flour. It’s the only thing preventing the dough from sticking, and the excess is easily brushed away in the end. Plus, the leftover flour needn’t go to waste, just sift it and use it to roll the second round of dough.
Gingerbread cookie dough can be rolled to any thickness, but I like my cookies thin and crisp, so I take the dough all the way down to a 1/8th of an inch since they’ll puff up a bit as they bake.
For those who prefer soft and thick cookies, stop at 1/4th of an inch instead, but do bear in mind this will substantially reduce the recipe’s yield. This dough also retains an impression very well, if you happen to have an embossed rolling pin or holiday cookie stamps.