Hassle Free White Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

Ron NebreBasics, Cookies, recipes


Great for tea time, lunch time, even bedtime-snack time, biscotti are a versatile and enduring cookie to have in your baking arsenal. In Italian biscotti means “twice cooked”, to describe the double-baking process that gives biscotti their signature crunch and ensures they stay tasty even weeks after making them.

Ingredients

    75 gm / ¾ cup Mirage Margarine, melted
    300 gm / 1½ cups Granulated sugar
    3 Eggs, large size
    2 Egg yolks
    30 ml / 2 tbsp Vanilla extract
    400 gm / 3 cups All-purpose flour
    6 gm / 1 tbsp Baking powder
    5 gm / 2 tsp Salt
    130 gm / 1 cup Dried cherries
    250 gm / 1 cup White chocolate, cut into chunks or chips

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F(160°C).
  2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the melted Mirage Margarine, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, egg yolks and whole eggs on high speed for 3 minutes, or until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides several times with a rubber spatula.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, dried cherries and white chocolate.
  4. Scrape down the margarine and egg mixture with a spatula and add in all the contents from the flour bowl.
  5. Mix on low, just until the dough is combined and even. Over-mixing will make a tough cookie, so stop once the flour is no longer visible.

  6. Roll the dough out onto a piece of parchment dusted with flour. The parchment should be cut to fit your baking sheet.
  7. Dust the dough with flour and press down with your hands to form a long rectangle, approximately 2 cm in height with a width of about 12 cm. Keep your hands dusted with flour to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
  8. Once the dough is shaped, transfer the dough and parchment onto your baking sheet and place in the oven.
  9. Bake until the edges are golden and the top is no longer wet, approximately 8-12 minutes. Gently press down on the top of the large cookie. If it bounces back like a soft cake it’s ready to come out. If not, leave it in for a few more minutes.
  10. Remove the cookie from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
  11. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the cookie width-wise into 2cm wide biscotti that are 12cm long.
  12. Place the cookies, standing up, back onto the parchment lined baking sheet with a space between each cookie.
  13. Drop the oven temperature to 275°F(135°C). Place the cookies in the oven and allow to bake for 15 minutes more until the centers are dry and firm.
  14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before enjoying.

Notes

  • Biscotti will keep well in an air tight container for several weeks. This makes them perfect for having on hand when guests drop in.
  • Substitute the measures of chocolate chips and cherries for any mixture of chocolate, dried fruit and/or nuts.