Friday 22 June 2007

Savoury Two-Cheese Biscotti

I have been thinking hard about what I could make for Quikong's mom because she prefers savoury foods rather than sweet. Since I know that she loves cheese, I thought that this cheese biscotti would be the perfect treat for her. An added bonus is that it is only 83 calories each. That's great if you can stop at just one!

Tips: Be sure to use the best quality cheese you can get your hands on and use sun-dried tomatoes that are vacuum packed and not in oil. It is great on its own, with dips or chilli.

Two-Cheese Biscotti with Sun-dried Tomatoes
adapted from Cooking Light March 2005

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 oz fresh Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese, grated
3-4 sun-dried tomato halves, chopped finely
2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp skim milk

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

3 extra large eggs (min weight per egg 55grm)

Cooking spray

PREPARATION
1
Preheat oven to 180°(350°). Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2
Combine milk, oil, and eggs; stir with a whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until well blended (dough will be dry and crumbly). Knead 8 times.

3
Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into an 8-inch-long roll. Place rolls, 6 inches apart, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; flatten to 1-inch thickness. Bake at 180°(350°) for 30 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack for 10 mins. Reduce oven temperature to 150°(325°).

4
Using a serrated knife, cut each roll diagonally into 12 (2/3-inch) slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake at 150°(325°) for 10 -15 minutes (depends how crunchy prefer it to be). Turn biscotti over; bake an additional 10-15 minutes (biscotti will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack before storing in a airtight container.

13 comments:

Eva said...

I still haven't made any biscotti yet (somehow anything cookie seems to only be appropriate at Christmas, guess that's a German thing). But a savoury biscotti goes at any time of the year - and I reckon Tobi would be happy to get some non-sweet baking! Need to do something nice this weekend!

Ruth Daniels said...

The biscotti looks fantastic.

Susan said...

Very nice, Nora. Though I'd never turn my nose up at any biscotti, a savory like this has extra nutrition, good protein and calcium.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Nora, I can tell that I'd be smiling from ear to ear if I received something this beautiful and delicious - your biscotti looks fantastic!
The flavors you combined are just heavenly. And the amount of calories is a huge plus. ;)

Janet said...

A savoury biscotti, what a great idea! I bet that would be a great party food served with some different types of spreads!

Cynthia said...

Nora, thank you for this! I like savoury rather than sweet things too. I am definitely going to make this as my baking spree continues :)

Aimée said...

What a cool idea! These look excellent.

Wendy said...

Love the sound of this!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Nora, that first photo is fantastic! These sound really tasty. A savoury biscotti - has to be done!

Nora B. said...

Eva, I can't imagine not having cookies all year round :-) I wonder what you will make this weekend. I am sure that it will be very special.

Thanks Ruth.

Susan, you are right about the nutritional value. I'm glad that it's good for me because I had a few...

Thanks Patricia. I hope that she will like it. The calories doesn't matter anymore because I had more than one! ;-)

Janet, yes it would be good at a party. I will make this next time I have friends over for drinks.

Cynthia, let me know what you think when you've tried this.

Thanks Aimée.

Thanks for dropping by, Wendy!

Thanks Amanda. I was surprised how well these turned out. I'll definitely make this again.

Lucy said...

Lovely biscotti, Nora.

Much prefer savoury to sweet.

Kelly-Jane said...

A savoury biscotti oh my! That sounds and looks fabulous!!

Nora B. said...

Hi Lucy, I like both! :-)

Yes, Kelly-Jane, it was pretty yummy.