Parmesan Black-Pepper Biscotti
Post date
Sunday, January 17, 2010 - 10:29
Source of Recipe
Gourmet | December 2006
Source Website
Serves/Makes/Yields
5 to 6 dozen biscotti
Recipe Description
These savory biscotti are ideal for a soiree. Their crisp texture is accented by the richness of parmesan and the bite of black pepper — perfect for nibbling in between sips of wine.
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (2 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
Preparation
Special equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder
- Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pulse peppercorns in grinder until coarsely ground.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, 2 cups cheese, and 1 tablespoon ground black pepper in a large bowl.
- Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Whisk 3 eggs with milk and add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork until a soft dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and quarter dough.
- Using well-floured hands, form each piece into a slightly flattened 12-inch-long log (about 2 inches wide and 3/4 inch high).
- Transfer logs to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging logs about 3 inches apart.
- Whisk remaining egg and brush some over logs, then sprinkle tops of logs evenly with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper.
- Bake, rotating sheets 180 degrees and switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until logs are pale golden and firm, about 30 minutes total.
- Cool logs to warm on sheets on a rack, about 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
- Carefully transfer 1 warm log to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife.
- Arrange slices, cut sides down, in 1 layer on a baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining logs, transferring slices to sheets.
- Bake, turning over once, until golden and crisp, 35 to 45 minutes total.
- Cool biscotti on baking sheets on racks, about 15 minutes.