I love making biscotti. But it’s always a dessert or after dinner treat. This biscotti is savory, and can be served before a meal or alongside a salad. It’s really yummy, and can be eaten in place of bread sticks.
I actually made this recipe because I just love black pepper. I crack it on everything. So little biscotti flavored with black pepper sounded amazing to me! And it was an excuse to use my mortar and pestle, which was an extra bonus. Plus, I already had this smelly wedge of Parmesan sitting in the back of my fridge and wondering how it could be used soon. Perfect.
Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti, adapted from Smitten Kitchen/Gourmet:
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 1/2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, chilled
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grind peppercorns either in a spice grinder or your mortar and pestle until coarsely ground
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, or in your food processor, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cheese, and ground pepper.
4. Add the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
5. Whisk the eggs into the milk and add to the flour mixture, mix until soft dough forms.
6. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and half it.
7. Shape each half into a log about 2 inches wide and 3/4 inches high and place on baking sheet with a Silpat or some parchment paper.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through.
9. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
10. Let logs cool until cool enough to handle and transfer to a cutting board. Cut 1/2 inch slices and place cut side up on baking sheets.
11. Bake, turning over once in the middle of baking, for 35-45 minutes
12. Cool on baking rack for about 15 minutes.
