Before you decide I have completely lost my sanity by presenting a gluten free recipe for a cookie that is not only baked once but twice in the dead heat of summer, hear me out. I think I can convince you that biscotti are in fact the ideal cookies to bake in the summer.
The word biscotti originates from Medieval Latin and means twice baked or cooked. They are dry Italian cookies which have been made for centuries and were originally baked twice to ensure a long shelf life in the days of extended journeys and no refrigeration.
The dryness makes them the ideal cookie for dunking and it also makes them quite portable – perfect for picnics and such. They are low in fat which makes them a good dessert alternative with a glass of Vin Santo – a sweet Italian wine. The thought of sitting on the patio at the end of a light summer meal sharing biscotti and a glass of wine or cup of coffee just cries “summer” to me.
OK, do you see where I am going with all this? I am not saying to stop baking biscotti in the winter, tins of Christmas biscotti studded with pistachios and cranberries dipped in dark chocolate makes for a fabulous gift, I am just saying that we need to start thinking of this as a summer cookie as well.
I like my biscotti dry enough to dip without falling apart but not so hard that they chip a tooth and this recipe results in a cookie that hits that balance quite nicely. I love the combination of fragrant lemon peel and salty pistachios mixed into the barely sweet biscuit. And may I just say that if you do dare to turn on the oven during the heat of summer to bake these, you will be rewarded with not only fantastic gluten free biscotti but your home will smell a little bit like Heaven.
Gluten Free Lemon Pistachio Biscotti
Ingredients
1¾ cup pastry quality gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum*
¼ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup olive oil
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups roasted, salted pistachios (if using unsalted pistachios increase the salt in the recipe to ¾ teaspoon), roughly chopped
* make your own gluten free flour blend by whisking together 1 cup superfine white rice flour with ½ cup superfine sweet rice flour, ¼ cup tapioca starch and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum.
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, salt and baking powder.
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or with a handheld at medium speed, beat the olive oil with the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and eggs until well combined. Turn mixer to low, gradually add the flour mixture. Add the pistachios and stir by hand to combine. Place dough on prepared baking sheet and form into a log which is roughly 12 inches long by 4 inches wide and ½ inch high. If dough is too sticky, wet your hands with water. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, increase heat to 350 degrees and cover the biscotti with two tea towels and let cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the log from the baking sheet and place on a cutting board. Using a thin, sharp knife, cut the biscotti on a diagonal into ¾ inch slices and place the slices back on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the biscotti are golden brown.
Store in an airtight container, especially important if the air is humid.
A gluten free recipe that makes about 18 cookies.
Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com
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