Judie has redefined biscotti, meaning twice baked cookie, by crafting local ingredients harvested in the fall from the Meadow Vista Farm and friends backyard gardens.
A staple food of the Roman Legions as it has a long shelf life, it is traditionally served with a drink into which the cookie is dunked (Vin Santo, a dessert wine found in Italy) we love to pair it with Ostara and Libra for a yummy treat in the afternoon or wrapped in parchment and given as gifts to friends.
Make sure to visit Judie at her new tasting room in Southeast Kelowna!
Judie Barta, Meadow Vista Honey Wines
ww.meadowvista.ca
Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• ½ cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender blossoms
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
In one bowl for dry, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
In a second bowl, whisk sugar and eggs to a light lemon color; stir in honey, vanilla extract, orange zest, chopped hazelnuts and lavender blossoms.
Sprinkle dry ingredients over the egg mixture; fold in until the dough is just combined.
Use just enough flour on your hands to prevent sticking, you don’t want the logs to be covered with flour, shape the dough into two logs.
Place the log on the parchment lined baking sheet and with your hands, pat and shape each piece into a loaf approximately 3 inches wide, 7 inches long, and 3/4-inch high.
Bake 25 minutes or until dough pops back up when lightly pressed with a finger. You cannot judge the cooking by the color. The biscotti shouldn’t change color during the second baking, so poke them to tell if they’re done. They should feel dry and offer some resistance. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.
Reduce oven to 275 degrees F. Using a long serrated knife, cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices. Turn the slices over, onto their sides; return slices, on baking sheets, to oven. Bake another 15 minutes. Do not crowd the biscotti slices on the baking sheet for their second baking as they need the hot air to circulate to enable them to crisp up evenly. Biscotti will continue to crisp up as they cool so do not over bake. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks.
Store biscotti in an airtight container.