Olive oil biscotti recipe: traditional Italian recipe beats the coffee shop variety

April 9, 8:35 PMKnoxville Healthy Food ExaminerElizabeth Kelly

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Olive oil biscotti: the classic recipe. (Athena: Creative Commons)

It's a shame what happened to biscotti once it got into American hands.

The light, crunchy cookie meant to be dunked into wine has become a coffee shop staple of monstrous proportions. Not only has the size increased, but the biscotti are frequently double dipped in white and dark chocolate. It wouldn't surprise me to find one of these sugar missiles with a layer of rainbow sprinkles on it. I doubt the ancient Romans would even recognize one if they wandered into a Starbucks.

Not that we really want to exactly emulate the ancient biscotti, though. A mainstay of the diet of the Roman legions due to its long storage life, Pliny once bragged that biscotti would be edible for hundreds of years. I've noticed that some of the coffee shop versions are hard as a rock, too. They may have been from Pliny's batch.

This recipe is a return to what's best about Italy's biscotti. It's light. It's crunchy. And, perhaps best of all, olive oil biscotti is tasty without being sinfully indulgent. Each piece of biscotti is only about 60 calories, depending on your choice of mix-ins, as it doesn't rely on butter like other bakery goodies.

While this recipe is for the basic biscotti with cranberry and pistachio, use it as a template for any variety you can conceive. Just keep the mix-ins to 2 cups or less (or you may find the biscotti too chunky to slice.)

Olive Oil Biscotti Recipe (Basic Recipe)

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti Recipe

Add:

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cup pistachios

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar and vanilla, and stir until blended. Beat the eggs into the mixture. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Slowly stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until well combined.

Divide the dough into two rectangular "logs," about 2" across, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, and reduce heat to 275. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Slice the biscotti on the diagonal with a non-serrated knife into 3/4" slices. Place the slices on their sides on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thoroughly dry.

Makes 3 dozen biscotti.

Variations:

You can add any of your favorite ingredients in proportions no greater than two cups total. Just resist the tempation to use sprinkles and chocolate. The light taste of olive oil biscotti is best with fresh, natural ingredients. Try any combination of the following:

• Hazelnuts
• Shredded Coconut
• Dried Dates
• Dried Cherries
• Crushed Banana Chips
• Slivered Almonds
• Macadamia Nuts
• Raisins
• Black Walnuts

You may also add a teaspoon of almond or other extract, grated lemon or orange zest, or a tablespoon or two of a savory ingredient. Dried lavender, rosemary or anise taste lovely with the basic recipe.

How do you like your biscotti? Do you dip it into wine or espresso? Share your thoughts, feedback or recipe ideas in the comment section, or e-mail Liz Kelly at ekellywrites@gmail.com.

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