This is the time when all good Italians are getting their gardens in order......loosening up the soil and planting the seedlings they've started inside over the previous months. Well, all good Italians but me, it seems. I mentioned, in an earlier post, that only time will tell if I've inherited the "gardening gene" or not. Well.....still yet to be seen, folks. I'm in the beginning stages of learning and always seem to be a little behind where I would like to be. I have yet to start my plants from seeds indoors but, instead, make trips to local nurseries to choose the vegetables I want to transplant into my garden. Let's face it....life gets pretty busy sometimes. So, for now, I'm satisfied with getting a little jump start from Lowe's or Home Depot.
Something else I like to grow, besides vegetables, are herbs, which brings me to today's post. There's something wonderful about being able to step outside your back door and pick a handful of freshness to add to the evening meal. Besides using fresh herbs in savory dishes, I also enjoy combining them with things that are sweet. I just think there's something unusual and a little sophisticated about pairing the two together. Today's recipe is a good example of that.....Rosemary and Currant Biscotti.
Rosemary is one of the most common herbs used in Italian cooking. It has a rather "piney" aroma and taste that goes really well with the sweetness of the currants in these cookies. They're great for a snack or a light dessert. (How about a scoop of lemon sorbet on the side?) If you've never tried fresh herbs in your baked goods, give it a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Rosemary and Currant Biscotti (35-40)
(recipe from "The Comfort Table" by Katie Lee)
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 1/2 tblsp. finely chopped rosemary
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried currants
Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped rosemary.
Beat the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one. Then beat in the vanilla.
Gently stir in the flour mixture and then the currants.
Divide the dough in half and form each half into a log 12"x1/2"x1" high. Place them onto a parchment-lined sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees until the logs are just starting to brown at the edges, about 35 minutes.
Cool the logs, on the sheet, for a few minutes. Then cut them into diagonal slices, about 1/2 " wide.
Place the slices back on the sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes. Turn and bake another 7-10 minutes or until they've reached the desired crispness. Let them cool for a few minutes and transfer to a rack. Store airtight up to 2 weeks.
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