[1. Biscotti]
■ Ingredients
150 g sugar
2 eggs
1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
250 g gravy
80 g toasted pistachios
60 g dried cranberries
■ Recipe
- In the bowl of a mixer, combine 150 g sugar and 2 room temperature eggs and mix on high speed.
- Next, grate the zest of one orange and mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Add 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 250 grams gravity flour in three small additions, mixing on low speed.
- Once the dough has come together, add 80 grams of toasted pistachios and 60 grams of dried cranberries and mix a little more. You should end up with a soft, sticky dough.
- Place this dough on a sheet and shape it into a log about 30 centimeters long. You may want to wet your hands with some water to make this easier.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 350℉ (180℃) for 30 minutes, until the dough is firm and lightly browned throughout.
- It's still hot when you take it out of the oven, so let it cool for 20 minutes or so until it's comfortable to handle. Once it's cool enough to handle, use a long serrated knife to slice the bread into slices about a finger-thick.
- Arrange each slice of bread, cut side up, on a sheet and bake at 320 degrees F (160 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
[2. Chocolate Chip Cookies]
■ Ingredients
100 g dark chocolate, at least 70% cacao content
50 g semisweet chocolate chips
150 g walnuts
100 g brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 g unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
280 g gravity flour
Recipe
- Break 100 grams of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao) into pieces and mix it with 50 grams of semisweet chocolate chips. The bitterness of the dark will contrast with the sweetness of the semisweet to enhance the overall flavor.
- Add 150 grams of chopped walnuts to the chocolate for a nutty flavor, and you're ready to go.
- Combine 100 grams of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 200 grams of unsalted butter in the bowl of a mixer on high speed.
- Next, add two eggs and mix to combine.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 280 grams of gravity flour in two or three additions, mixing on low speed.
- When you don't see much flour, add the pre-chopped chocolate and walnuts and mix again.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop 100g of the dough into balls and flatten them slightly by pressing them down with your hands. You'll also want to stick in a few large pieces of chocolate to create an irregular chocolate pattern on the surface of the cookie.
- Now this dough needs to chill for at least an hour so that it can absorb the moisture completely. I left mine in the fridge for about a day, and then baked them at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
- Once out of the oven, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
References
Anastasia Edwards, Biscuits and Cookies, A Global History (2019)
Linda Civitello, Baking Powder Warsy (2017)
A Santamaría García, GIVE TO THE LABOR OF AMERICA, THE MARKET OF AMERICA (2013)
Mizanur Rahman et al., A Comprehensive Review on Bio-Preservation of Bread: An Approach to Adopt Wholesome Strategies (2022)
Francisca Sempere & María Pilar Santamarina, Microscopic and macroscopic study of the interaction between Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler and Nigrospora oryzae (Berk. & Broome) Petch (2006)
Nore Struyf et al., Bread Dough and Baker's Yeast: An Uplifting Synergy (2017)
Linda Gail France, Sugar manufacturing in the West Indies: A study of innovation and variation (1984)
0:00 1. Biscotti Recipe
1:18 2. Food of Necessity
2:50 3. Sweet Evolution
4:45 4. Popularization
6:10 5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
7:56 6. Ending