- Biscotti
Biscotti is Italian for "
biscuits ". In North America, the word has been taken to refer to a specific type of biscuits.Origin and Italian usage
The word "biscotti" in Italian is the plural form of "biscotto", which applies to any type of biscuit, and originates from the
medieval Latin word "biscoctus", meaning "twice-baked": it defined biscuits baked twice in the oven, so they could be stored for long periods of time, which was particularly useful during journeys and wars. Through Middle French, the word was imported into theEnglish language as "biscuit".North American usage
In North America, the Italian term "biscotti" has been taken to refer to a specific type of biscuits, derived from Tuscan cantucci, a type of hard almond-flavoured biscuits traditionally served with
vin santo , probably originating from the town ofPrato and therefore still known as "biscotti of Prato".American biscotti are indeed crisp
cookie s often containing nuts or flavored withanise . Traditionally, biscotti are made by baking cookie dough in two long slabs, cutting these into slices, and reheating them to dry them out. Biscotti has a very low moisture content. A basic recipe is a mix two partsflour with one partsugar with enough eggs to create a stiff batter. To the mixturebaking powder and flavorings such as anise,chocolate , or nuts are added. The slabs are baked once for about twenty-five minutes. They are then cut up into individual cookies and baked again for a shorter period. The longer this second baking is, the harder the cookies will be. In contrast to the Italian version paired with wine, American biscotti more frequently accompany Italian-style coffee- and espresso-based beverages, including cappuccinos and lattes.References
* [http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0122.htm?terms=biscotti Twice-Cooked Delights.] Retrieved February 26, 2005.
External links
* [http://coffeetea.about.com/od/biscotti/index.htm?terms=biscotti Recipes]
* [http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe.php?id=154&title=Biscotti Cooking For Engineers: biscotti recipe]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
