Olive Oil Biscotti
Perfect biscotti for gift giving!
The Italian pronunciation for Biscotti is: bee-SKOHT-tee; meaning twice cooked-are Italian biscuits. For the grammar geeks out there-Biscotti is a PLURAL word which really means you will eat more than one of these awesome little things. Personally, I think biscotti is a synonym for DELICIOUS!
Biscotti are a dry oblong-shaped, crunchy cookie. Traditionally, they are served with a drink, in which they are usually dunked. In Italy, they are served as an after-dinner dessert with a Tuscan fortified wine called Vin Santo. (Dessert with more wine…YAY, yes pleeeeease:) Outside of Italy, they are more frequently paired with coffee, including cappuccinos and lattes.
I really wanted to create the PERFECT biscotti recipe for Cervasi. Of course, it HAD to be made with Olive Oil because that is what the Italians would do.
So, let’s talk olive oil for one second. It’s not hard to get me to talking about olive oil…because it’s amazing and reminds me of all things Italy. I use olive oil in almost everything-I mean a TON of it. I use it in pastas, braised dishes, eggs, salad dressings and a final drizzle on almost any savory food. (Google claims you can also use it on your skin and hair but I think that is for another blog!) But, did you know it is also amazing for baking? Seriously, if you haven’t tried baking with olive oil, it’s high time you do! While some vegetable oils do nothing but moisten your batter (I’m not judging), olive oil, especially, extra virgin olive oil—gives a delightful floral, ever so slight peppery flavor to baked goods. It gives your baked goods that extra bit of flavor- everyone will want this recipe!
I love baking with olive oil because:
I’m Italian…ok, I’m not, but I obviously was in another life:)
Using olive oil cuts down on "bad" cholesterol and saturated fat in baking. It's considered a "good” fat…yay, good fat.
It also adds extra antioxidants and vitamin E to baked goods-giving desserts a heart-healthy boost.
So, we can all feel extra healthy for eating dessert!
So back to the recipe….I’ve been working for-evvver on this biscotti recipe.
I’m not going to lie to ya, this recipe was HARD for me to perfect. I needed that crunchy, sweet almost caramelized outer layer taste and some tenderness on the inside. Well folks….that combo right there STUMPED me for quite some time. Then out of nowhere…. BOOM- it hit me- I knew I had to use a combination of brown sugar and regular sugar.
This recipe is now sooo good..IMHO. And, as luck would have it, it’s now Perfectly Perfected and ready to share with you! Great timing, since you will want to serve this for all of your Holiday get togethers! I love serving this for breakfast, dessert, snacks and it’s also a perfect hostess gift. Who doesn’t love to receive a sweet treat packed up beautifully…I know I do!
So here you go, my olive oil biscotti. I hope you try it and LOVVVE every crunchy, crumbly, sweet, chewy, delicious bite.
PS, I’ve also added a little conversion chart if you want to try substituting olive oil for butter in other baked goods. No, no, no, I’m not hating on butter, but it’s just nice to have options…right?!!?
PPS, You can find Cervasi olive oil at KC grocery stores like Hen House, HyVee and Price Chopper;)