Mealtime Magic: Pizza Biscotti

Treats so nice, you bake them twice! Biscotti - oblong, crispy biscuits of varying flavors - have long been a staple for tea, coffee, and snack lovers. Ultimate Biscotti: 75 sweet, savory and gluten-free recipes by Trish Lobenfeld explores this traditional treat, but with an eye outside of the box: recipes that are savory, gluten-free, and nut-free, making this handheld nosh accessible to more people than ever.   Ultimate Biscotti offers not only a wide variety of flavor profiles and recipes for people with food allergies, but also a detailed process that ensures how to successfully and repeatedly make biscotti perfectly. Lobenfeld explores specific flavor extracts that complement other components of the biscotti, how to bake the perfect gluten-free biscuit, and a failsafe way to the double baking process. Perfect for any occasion – from weddings and tea parties to graduation celebrations and a Mother’s Day luncheon – Ultimate Biscotti offers recipes for sweet Banana Bread Biscotti and Carrot Cake Biscotti; savory Bloody Mary Biscotti and Porcini Rosemary Biscotti; and gluten-free Mocha Biscotti and Honey Sesame Seed Biscotti.

Pizza Biscotti Makes: 2 dozen biscotti Sun-dried tomatoes provide a concentrated tomato flavor. Combine them with Parmesan cheese, Italian herb seasoning, and garlic, and you get pizza biscotti. Serve these with a dry wine, a bowl of olives, and a dollop of pesto.   Egg wash 1 large egg   Biscotti 1 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons Italian herb seasoning 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 large eggs 2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting 1 teaspoon baking powder Setup Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. In a small bowl, make the egg wash: beat the egg with a splash of cold water until it’s frothy and set aside with a pastry brush. Line a 13 by-18-by-1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Method In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, puree the sun-dried tomatoes, butter, cheese, herb seasoning, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in the eggs until thoroughly combined. Add the flour and baking powder and pulse until the flour is moist and smooth, without over processing, scraping the bowl as needed. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and use your hands to form it into a thick log. Roll the log back and forth, adding a bit of dusting flour as needed, until it is 18-inches long by 2-inches wide. Cut it in half crosswise, and place both halves on the prepared baking sheet, straightening them if needed to keep their shape. Gently press the logs to about a 1/2-inch thickness. Brush both logs with the egg wash and bake for 25 minutes, or until they are firm to the touch but yield just a bit. Transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and let it sit for at least one hour. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the logs on an angle into 1/2-inch slices. Lay them flat on the baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, turn the cookies over, and bake them for another 12 minutes. When they have finished baking, lift the parchment paper off the baking sheet, and transfer the biscotti to a cooling rack. Savory biscotti contain little to no sugar, a natural preservative, and butter or oil, which means they are more perishable than their sweeter cousins. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container. The biscotti freeze well and can be thawed in small quantities, as needed.

Trish Lobenfeld is the creative culinary mind behind Honeypie’s Recipes, which showcases her long love of cooking and the variety of dishes she makes in her kitchen. Trish is also the writer behind Endless Summer; 54 Quick and Creative Ice Cream and Dessert Recipes (Zoku LLC, 2014) and Scrambled Eggs (AuthorHouse, 2014), an illustrated children’s book. She received her culinary training at the Institute of Culinary Education, attended New York University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies to earn a Master’s degree in Food Studies, and is a Certified Dietary Manager and Certified Food Protection Professional. After completing her degree, Trish was invited to teach both the lecture and lab for Introduction to Food as well as Food Science and Technology, Food Management and Production, and the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation’s ServSafe. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and a Certified Culinary Professional (CCP), a designation awarded to members of IACP who have demonstrated and maintain comprehensive knowledge of the culinary arts and sciences.