Orange Biscotti with Cardamom and Walnuts

A simple recipe for Italian crunchy Biscotti. They're perfect with your cup of tea or coffee!

Biscotti also known as Cantuccini, it means twice baked in Italian. These crunchy cookies are made dry by cutting a fresh loaf hot from the oven into slices and baking again. A great way to start your day is to have some fresh crispy biscotti with your morning coffee or tea!

I made 3 different kinds of Biscotti in the past couple of weeks, 3 different flavours and all of them turned out really delicious! You can make plain biscotti, add raisins or chocolate... But, adding orange zest and cardamom to Biscotti makes them really special. They are usually eaten by dipping the biscotti in your cup of coffee, tea, or milk. Adding walnuts to these elegant finger like cookies not only makes them taste better but it makes them healthier!

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

Orange Biscotti with Cardamom and Walnuts Recipe

Serves: About 20 slices

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 250 grams all purpose flour
• 200 grams white sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 80 grams walnuts (chopped)
• 1 tsp cardamom
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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220°.
2. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
3. In a medium bowl cream butter with sugar, add flour, cardamom and blend until combined. Add eggs, and mix all together. Fold in orange zest and walnuts.
4. On the prepared baking sheet, shape the dough into 2 (2x12 inches) logs. Bake for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and reduce oven temperature to 200°.
6. Slice the partially cooled logs using a knife on a slight angle into 1/2 inch thick slices.
7. Place slices with cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until biscotti are dry on top and slightly toasted at the bottom. Turn over and bake for 15 more minutes.

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Chocolate Dipped Cumquat

Cumquats are interesting fruits that we usually eat raw with their peel on. But what if you want to eat them cooked or baked? Having only few delicious recipes to prepare and bake cumquats, this one will make you adore this fruit!

There are two cumquat trees in my garden and these trees are veeery generous! I'm a big fan of citrus chocolates so chocolate dipped cumquats sounded like a spectacular idea.

I got some cumquats, sliced them, soaked them in sugar syrup, then baked them in the oven to dry a little. After cooling them, I dipped them in chocolate and served for my family. In a couple of hours, they were all gone!

Chocolate Dipped Cumquat Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh cumquats
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate melted
• 1/3 cup white chocolate melted
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Instructions

1. Slice cumquats into halves and place in a bowl
2. In a small saucepan heat the water and the sugar until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add cumquats to saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes allowing them to soak.
4. Preheat oven to 150c°.
5. Place cumquats on a lined baking tray with foil.
6. Bake for 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
7. Melt chocolate in the microwave. 
8. Dip each cumquat into chocolate halfway and place on tray until the chocolate has set.

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