Crispy and fragrant cookies with a touch of orange zest and a crunch of walnuts.
Last Christmas I decided to bake my presents for our friends and family. I think it’s special, it’s sweet and we all know that a little bit of sweetness makes people happy)))
I choose three kinds of cookie recipes, bake them with love, put them in a nice box then decorated it with a colorful ribbon and a personalized note, added a box of good coffee and it was ready!
Do you want to know what cookies were inside of my special box?
First, of course, a Gingerbread Man Cookie. It wouldn’t be the holidays without gingerbread man cookies. The second type of cookies was a Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. These are perfectly soft and chewy, and they look as if they are covered by snow. Finally, the third type of cookies was an Italian Biscotti with Orange Zest. These are my favorite!
I think that my love for crispy cookies came from my childhood. Only then, instead of cookies we were eating bread crackers with sugar. I know that maybe it’s sounds strange, but it was one of my favorite treats as a child.
Biscotti or Cantucci are Italian almond biscuits. Biscotti was first created in the fourteenth century in the Tuscany region of Italy. In Italian, the word “biscotto” means “biscuit” or “cookie”. More specifically, biscotti are named according to their original method of baking. The root words “bis” and “cotto” literally mean “twice” and “baked”. Modern biscotti recipes often contain nuts (traditional almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios and hazelnuts are popular choices) or spices such as anise or cinnamon.
Ingredients:
3.5 cups (500 g) flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup (200 g) sugar
6 tablespoons (70 ml) warm milk
2 tablespoons cognac/brandy
1 stick (110 g) butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 cup (100 g) walnuts
1 cup (100 g) dry cranberries
Step 1
In a bowl bit together the eggs and the sugar for about 2 minutes.
Step 2
Add the warm milk, alcohol, soften butter and mix again. In a separate bowl sift together all the dry ingredients.
Step 3
Add half of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix well.
Step 4
Add the orange zest, walnuts, dry cranberries and mix with a spatula.
Step 5
Add the rest of the dry ingredients and keep mixing. Put a little bit of flour on the work surface and transfer the dough. Keep mixing it with your hands.
Step 6
Divide the dough in half and form two loafs.
Step 7
Transfer them to a baking sheet and bake at 355 degrees for about 40 minutes or until slightly brown.
Step 8
Cut the baked loafs into slices about ½ inch thick and place back on the baking sheet laying them flat. (Be careful not to burn your hands). Bake at 320 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until golden-brown.
Enjoy!
Notes:
All the ingredients need to be at room temperature.
- 3.5 cups (500 g) flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 6 tablespoons (70 ml) warm milk
- 2 tablespoons cognac/brandy
- 1 stick (110 g) butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 cup (100 g) walnuts
- 1 cup (100 g) dry cranberries
- In a bowl bit together the eggs and the sugar for about 2 minutes.
- Add the warm milk, alcohol, soften butter and mix again. In a separate bowl sift together all the dry ingredients.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix well.
- Add the orange zest, walnuts, dry cranberries and mix with a spatula.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients and keep mixing. Put a little bit of flour on the work surface and transfer the dough. Keep mixing it with your hands.
- Divide the dough in half and form two loafs.
- Transfer them to a baking sheet and bake at 355 degrees for about 40 minutes or until slightly brown.
- Cut the baked loafs into slices about ½ inch thick and place back on the baking sheet laying them flat. (Be careful not to burn your hands). Bake at 320 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until golden-brown.
- All the ingredients need to be at room temperature.
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