Cherry and hazelnut biscotti

Cherry and haelnut biscottiA wonderful Italian biscuit to have with a cup of coffee and easier to make than you think.

The name biscotti is plural of Italian biscotto, roughly meaning “twice baked”.

The biscuits should be very dry and crunchy which makes them perfect for a spot of dunking. For a more decadent touch they can be drizzled with melted chocolate.

CHERRY AND HAZELNUT BISCOTTI
Makes about 20

INGREDIENTS:

375 g plain flour, sifted, + extra for kneading
150 g caster sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 medium eggs, beaten
150 g glacé cherries
100 g hazelnuts
zest of 2 oranges
100 g plain chocolate (optional)

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.

Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder together in a large bowl.

Mix in half the eggs then slowly add enough of the remaining eggs to bind the mixture together.

Add the cherries, nuts and orange zest and with lightly floured hands knead the mixture until the fruit and nuts are evenly distributed.

Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a sausage 20 cm in length.

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving space between each. Press down to flatten slightly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes.

Diagonally cut the sausages into slices 1 cm thick. Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, turn over and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden. Place on a rack to cool.

Melt the chocolate, if using, and drizzle over the biscuits. Leave for about 20 minutes to set.

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