Biscotti 2017

Minimalist post this week. All made from the same initial dough with egg whites & both Casein + whey isolate proteins as well as the usual flour, sugar baking powder etc (and also almond essence).

Grated Macadamias, almonds and cranberries

Cinnamon, vanilla and walnut

Almond and sliced dried (w/o sulphur dioxide) apricots.

Deconstructed red pesto biscotti (pictured above - left)

Sundried tomato

pine nuts

almonds

pinch of dried basil

seasoned with black pepper

Cranberry + Walnut biscotti (pictured above - right)

3 caps of vanilla extract

cranberries

walnuts

pinch of cinnamon

Crushed cereal flake biscotti (pictured above -middle)

small rice & wheat flakes (similar to special K) crushed into fine particles (but larger than a dust)

2 caps almond extract

small flakes of crystallised ginger

almonds

Raspberry Jam  + walnut Biscotti

1 cap vanilla extract

1tbsp rasp jam mixed in with the eggs

+ walnuts

Amaretto muesli Biscotti

~30ml amaretto

50g Muesli

(soak muesli in amaretto before adding)

+ cranberries

+almonds

Deconstructed Pesto Biscotti

Add dried basil to the eggs

+pine nuts (and a few almonds)

small amount of dried Parmesan cheese

Grated Macadamia

25g sugar

125g flour +75 extra

2caps  almond extract

2 eggs

baking powder

15g grated macadamias

20g walnuts

Raspberry Jam Biscotti

10g sugar

90g flour +65 extra

2 eggs

baking powder

Raspberry Jam

~15 whole almonds

Flatten dough add a thin layer of raspberry jam coat with a thin layer of flour and add almonds and rolls dough into a log as usual

Cranberry + Cinnamon

115g Flour + 60g extra

15g Sugar

2tsp cinnamon

Cranberries

Almonds

(cranberries + almond amount not measured)

Ginger Biscotti

100g Flour

20g Caster sugar

20 ground almonds

35g Crystallised Ginger

35g whole almonds

60g extra flour

2 eggs

1tsp baking powder

Apricot + walnut biscotti

100g Flour

17g caster sugar

60 dried apricots w/o SO2

40g walnuts

50g extra flour

2 capsful of almond extract

2 eggs

1tsp baking powder

Berry ‘n’ flakes biscotti

115g flour

15g caster sugar

25g strong flour

40g rice and wheat flakes /w freeze dried berries

1 cap vanilla extract

75g extra flour

20g almonds

10g dried cranberries

2 eggs

1tsp baking powder

Granola biscotti

15g sugar

25g almond

140g flour

35g  red berry granola

2eggs

1tsp baking powder

Citrus & Cranberry biscotti

25g sugar

25g protein powder

20g walnuts

200g flour

1tsp orange extract

1tsp baking powder

2eggs

1tsp baking powder

zest of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lime

Spiced Hazelnut biscotti

15g sugar

25g hazelnuts

150g flour

2tsp cinammon

vanilla extract

almond extract

25g ground almond

2tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

2eggs

1tsp baking powder

Smarties Biscotti

17g golden caster

100g flour + 50g

1tp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

35g almond

15g macadamias

~2 eggs

1 tbsp ground almonds

Cherry Biscotti

100g flour + 50g

22g golden caster

2tsp cinnamon

1tsp almond essence

50g glace cherries (halved)

30g hazels

10g brazils

~2 eggs

Coconut Biscotti

125g + 60g flour

25g whey isolate

27g golden caster

30g almonds

40g coconut

~2 eggs

WEEK 6...

The chocolate flavour wasn’t very detectable in the biscotti.

The glace cherries added to the chocolate biscotti were sweet almost a fruity caramel.. more were needed though

The macadamias didn’t seem to bake well many falling out or seemed over-baked texture-wise the flavour however was good.

Base recipe:

100g flour

eggs (beaten)

1tsp baking powder

Dark chocolate + cherry

20g golden caster

15g walnuts

15g hazelnuts

30g ground almonds

25g dark chocolate (grated)

Macadamia Biscotti

20g golden caster

45g macadamia

25g casein protein

 2tsp almond essence (tastes like less sweet marzipan)

Heavily-Spiced  3 nut Biscotti

40g golden caster

60g extra flour

3tsp cinnamon

2tsp nutmeg

1tsp ginger (ground)

35g almonds

15g Brazil nuts

15g Macadamias

nicely baked this week (after semi-burning them for the last 2 weeks)

more like 25 mins at ~160 then 20mins ~150 mins.

Should be able to push firmly on the slice (once baked) and it should have little to no give, this should lead to a crunchy but moist inside.

Last weeks

savoury were a bit of a failure.

peanut butter were tasty but tended to break exceedingly easily.

dried cherry were the best but the almond flavour was lacking and the biscotti was quite dense. (but tasty)

Week 5 - More flavour experiments and savoury biscotti

Peanut butter & Coconut

100g Flour

25g Casein protein

30g desiccated coconut (finely chopped)

30g peanut butter

35g Brazil nuts

40g sugar

2eggs

1tsp baking powder

Peanut butter separated into 8 and placed onto the dough before rolling into a log shape (try using dryer/ less oily blobs of peanut butter).

Amaretto and Cherry

100g flour

25g sugar

25g ground almonds

30g almonds

2eggs

1tsp baking powder

Presoaked fruit

40g dried cherries

10g dried apricots

soaked in ~25ml amaretto overnight

PESTO and OLIVE

Flour, eggs , baking powder...

8g pesto

20g almonds

5 black olives

5 green olives

The Diced apricot from the previous week was probably the nicest but didnt rise for whatever reason. It was quite moist and crumbly while still being crunchy enough.. I believe the ground almonds may give this effect..

Week 4 - Protein and hazelnut biscotti

Main batch

150g plain flour

50g sugar

25g Casein (protein)

25g Whey isolate (protein)

1tsp baking powder

3 eggs

60g hazelnuts

2tsp vanilla

2tsp cinnamon

1tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

Secondary batch 75g plain flour

20g sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking powder

25g ground almond

10g almond

30g walnuts

60g diced dried apricots

slightly burnt this week

The protein powder batch last week were surprisingly palatable, the whey isolate seems to form more of a spongy texture whilst the casein form more crispy.

Week 3 - protein biscotti and chocolate biscotti

Protein

100g plain flour

40g caster sugar (more sugar used than normal to offset the protein powder)

2 eggs

1tsp baking soda

15g almonds

30g walnuts

small amount of vanilla extract

some cinnamon + nutmeg

25g protein powder (batch 1 = whey isolate, batch 2 = micellar casein)

bake etc as per normal

Dark chocolate and brazil

100g plain flour

~1egg

1tsp baking soda

50g dark chocolate (melted before use)

20g caster (less than usual,as the chocolate is already sweet)

50g Brazil nuts (whole)

The whey batch was too loose/liquid a dough  (egg not beaten enough or perhaps not enough flour?).

Week 2 - some sugar testing and Dried apricot biscotti

~100g PLAIN flour ( not making that mistake twice) 1.5 eggs 1tsp baking powder 40g walnuts

batch 1 = 15 g golden caster sugar batch 2 = 30g golden caster sugar

batch 3 = ~125g Plain flour 2 eggs 25g golden caster sugar 40g almonds 40g chopped dried apricots 1 drop of orange essence

[baking is 30 mins at gas mark 3, slice then 30 more at gas mark 2]

Week 1 - Sugar ratios

todays biscotti followed a base recipe of approx

~100g strong white flour

2 medium eggs

1 tsp baking soda

40g almonds

Baked at Gas mark 3 (165°C/325°F) for 30 mins

10 mins to cool

sliced and re baked at Gas mark 2 ( 150°C/300°F) for 30 mins

the 1st batch follows this recipe without sugar at all

the 2nd batch added 20g sugar

the 3rd batch added 40g sugar

The aim being to get the best tasting biscotti (ideally for lower calories)

This was also be the first time cooking biscotti in this current kitchen with this cooking equipment (previous made a few batches over Christmas at my parents house in 2016)

!! So.. a slight error, I  accidently used Strong White flour rather than Plain White flour therefore these biscotti are more like bread than biscuit. WOOPS!!