biscotti with oatmeal, orange, figs & walnuts

I’ve gone bonkers for biscotti – as will you when you realize that you can add anything to the basic batter – I like replacing some of the flour with oatmeal –adds crunch and flavour not to mention whole-grain goodness. When I discovered a bag of dried figs hibernating in the back of my fridge – I got to thinking. First, the figs were more than dried so here’s a neat trick to breathe new life back into dried fruit that could double as a rock. Set what you need in a colander or sieve over simmering water for a few minutes – and presto, pliable chewy dried fruit has entered the building!

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oatmeal, orange, fig & walnut biscotti

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Roast in hot, dry pan for 10 minutes and set aside:

1 cup of walnuts

In a mixing bowl beat until light, fluffy & smooth:

2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
zest & juice of one orange

Sift the following onto a piece of waxed paper and funnel into the bowl with the egg mixture:

1 cups of flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
pinch of salt

Chop the cooled walnuts and add them to the soft dough mixture, mixing briefly to incorporate. Divide in 2 and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll each half into a 2″x12″ long log.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm. Briefly rest and then slice diagonally into thin slices. Arrange cut-side down and bake another 20 minutes until dry and crispy. Allow to cool. Store in an air-tight container.

get creative

crush sweet biscotti and:

sprinkle over ice cream
add to a fruit crisp topping
stir into waffle or pancake batter
put in a bowl and top with stewed fruit and whipped cream

crush savoury biscotti and:

sprinkle over mashed potatoes
stir into buttery pasta
sprinkle over soups or stews
fold into rice
add to salads for added crunch
finish a pizza

the business of biscotti

Biscotti can accommodate as many flavour combinations as you can toss at it – so happy tossing and here are a few biscotti variations to get you warmed up:

sweet biscotti

savoury biscotti