Recipe of the Week: Biscotti Alle Pesche (Peach And Nutella Biscotti)
These cookies are usually made for holidays, weddings and special occasions. Everyone loves them. They are well worth the time and labor involved in preparing them. Shaped like peaches, they are made with two cookies joined together with chocolate ganache, then dipped in sweet liquor and rolled into sugar. Makes 36 cookies. (Chef tip: Make sure that you have an even number of cookies.)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
3 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Garnishes:
8 ounces sweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1 cup Sloe Gin or sweet almond liquor
1 cup granulated sugar
36 paper leaves, or prepared green frosting in a pastry bag with fine tip
Cream sugar, vanilla and butter together. Blend eggs and lemon zest into mixture. Sift the flour, salt and the baking powder. Mix flour mixture with butter mixture. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough into one-inch size balls, making sure to have an even number. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Stir in the heavy cream and the nuts. With a spoon, hollow out the center of the prepared cookies. Stir cookie crumbs in with prepared chocolate ganache.
Fill one cookie with chocolate mixture and join with a second one. Repeat until all the cookies are finished. Soak the prepared cookies in the liquor then roll them into granulated sugar. Place in paper cups. Add a paper leaf on the top or pipe green frosting and serve.