Biscotti da Te' (Tea Biscuit)

Makes 36

 

This is such a useful biscuit recipe. It is not overly sweet.

 

300 g softened butter

150 g icing sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp pure vanilla essence

450 g plain flour

2 tablespoon cocoa (optional)

for garnish: melted chocolate, glace’ cherries

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METHOD

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Using an electric beater, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Gradually incorporate the sugar and beating all the while, add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the salt, baking powder and vanilla essence. Add the flour a little a a time on low speed. To make chocolate tea biscuits add the cocoa to half the flour.

 

 

Using  a piping bag with a large star nozzle, put in about one quarter of the dough. Pipe rounds, batons or horseshoe shapes onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Put half a cherry in the centre of the circles. Bake at 170C for 18 minutes or until the biscuits are golden. Allow to cool on a rack.  Dip the ends of the batons and horseshoe shapes into the melted chocolate and leave them on the rack to set.

 

Useful tip: to stop the baking paper from slipping, pipe a tiny amount of dough on each corner of the tray then put down the paper on top.