Friday, March 28, 2008

Cardamom Biscotti

kardemummabiscotti1

I served the Blondies at an Easter lunch with my family, and my sister leaned over and asked, hope in her eyes, "are these healthy cookies, Anne?" I stared at her, disbelieving. "No, they're not healthy. They're cookies. Want healthy? Have a carrot."

Anyway. I then went home and made these, which are actually quite healthy, as far as cookies go. They have no butter, and I baked them with spelt instead of regular wheat flour which is supposedly a bit healthier. (Or at least it has a lower glycemic index, meaning it won't turn to sugar in your system immediately.) That's not the main thing about these cookies though - the really important thing to remember is that they are utterly delicious. I brought some into work and they disappeared in an instant - that's a good review!

They're stuffed with coarsely chopped almonds and dark chocolate, and I used fresh cardamom in them. Oooh, the scent alone was intoxicating!

Cardamom Biscotti
ca 40 biscotti

100 g almonds, blanched and coarsely chopped
2 eggs
200 ml (0,8 cups) sugar
1 tbsp cardamom, preferrably freshly ground in a pestle and mortar
1 tsp salt
400-500 ml (1,6-2.1 cups) flour (I used spelt flour, regular wheat is fine)
1 tsp baking powder
100 g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Mix together almonds, eggs, sugar, cardamom and salt. Add 300 ml (1,2 cups) of the flour and the baking powder, then the chocolate. Mix carefully and add just as much flour you need to hold the dough together.

Roll out into thick ropes and place on a lined baking sheet.

Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes, or until the dough is lightly golden. Remove from oven, and when cool enough to handle, cut into small biscotti. Dry in the oven, at 100°C for 40 minutes. (Place them with the cut side up, and turn them over after 20 minutes)

Recipe in Swedish:
Kardemummabiscotti

14 comments:

Krister "Holman" Holmér said...

Hallo hallo!

Very god side you have. I have one too now. Also about some food cause I am outboulding myself to be a bagery. That biscotti will I try in my owen this weekend. Hope it tastes god.

I have lanked to you from my side, very welcome to look and read and maybey lenk back to me :)

Frienderly
Krister Holmèr

Jessica said...

"Are these healthy?"
"No, (...) they're cookies. Want healthy? Have a carrot.

Game set match

LOL

Lena said...

In a normal situation I would be very skeptic if someone claimed that this healthy "thing" also taste good. But since it is you, and I know your food and know that we have similar taste, why not maybe healthy cookies should be given a chance :)
btw Love the cup!

Kram

Jason said...

These look wonderful! I will have to try this recipe.

glamah16 said...

Hhahaha . You were so blunt.But she should have known better than to ask. Just take it as she was trying to really justify what she about to eat and could not deny herself.
Love that cup. Also I remember another link with a great piece of crytsal from Orrefors. Youhave the best stuff.

Daniel Roos said...

Biscotti är så himla gott det ska jag baka snart det avr så länge sen. Må så gott mvh Daniel

nonizamboni said...

These look delightful and thanks for the reminder about the spelt flour and GI.
But mainly I had to say I 'love' the cup they were photographed in, especially the little bird.
Thanks for sharing!

Anne said...

They're not SO healthy, so don't worry! :)

The cup is from Kerstin Tillberg, and I adore it! :)

Anonymous said...

Everything is healthy if you have one. There's nothing out there so healthy you can eat 20 of them and it's still doing your body good. Nothing you'd want to eat 20 of anyways.

Amanda said...

Fantastic! I'm always looking for baked goods that use alternative flours. Do you think I could use teff flour in these? (Need to find spelt flour...)

Anne said...

Mrs W - I've never encountered teff flour, so I can't say for sure. Spelt is pretty much another form of wheat, so they don't differ very much. They still have gluten, and teff doesn't, right? Still, it might work, or at least you could probably use half wheat, half teff. Let me know if you try it out! :)

Amanda said...

That's correct--no gluten in teff flour. I'll let you know if I do decide to try... it's certainly tempting! I haven't had biscotti in a LONG time!

Jessica said...

teff is used predominantly in Africa, especially in Ethiophia and Eritrea. It is used instead of cutlery as a big pancake iupon which a stew is served. Ethiopian food is very good, anyone who hasn't had it should try. The texture of the pancake - the injeera - is however quite spongy. I was surprised at the texture.

Amanda said...

Indeed, Jessika--I know Ethiopian food quite well. It's one of my favorites. However teff is also being used for use in gluten-free cooking now, as well--I'm now able to find teff flour in my local health foods store. *yay* (Which means I can try again at making injera myself. Yum!)