Time to share a favorite recipe. I just brought these to a party, and I think they were a hit. I like it when people take a bite and they taste something that's unexpected or new. It's fun to watch their expressions.
This one's like that, and a winner, I think. If you want these cookies to be as great as they really are, you'll need to grind cardamom pods. So, just go buy them. Go to Patel Brothers (several stores - check online) or any Indian grocery store or Penzey's (in Grand Central Station or Carle Place, LI or online) and buy green (there are also black) ones. You need a spice grinder. (Buy an inexpensive coffee grinder and use it just for spices.) You can find shelled, unsalted pistachios at Trader Joes (not my favorite store, but they carry them) or at an Indian grocery store. Bob's Red Mill is my favorite for the medium ground cornmeal. But if you can't find it, get that Indian Head stuff in the little yellow bag. It's quite good, for "supermarket" cornmeal.
Pistachio Cardamom Biscotti
Blue Heron Kitchen, adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours
Ingredients:
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ c. medium grind yellow cornmeal (Bob’s Red Mill)
4 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature (83% butterfat, European style is best)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, size large, room temperature
1 tsp. ground cardamom (freshly ground, preferred)
¾ c. unsalted pistachios, toasted, cooled and chopped well
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Variation: Last time I made these, I omitted about 1/4 cup of pistachios and added 1/2 cup dried, tart cherries, chopped in half. Really good.
Procedure:
Oven rack should be in the lower third or center. Preheat oven to 350º F.
Line baking sheet with parchment or Silpat.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, ground cardamom and cornmeal. Set aside.
In a Kitchen Aid mixer or with a hand held mixer, cream butter and sugar until very smooth.
Add eggs, and continue to beat, scraping down bowl as needed. (With a silicone beater blade, you’ll laugh at the thought.) Beat until light, smooth and creamy. Then, beat in extract and zest.
Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
Add the pistachios and mix just to blend.
Form two rough logs, 12” long and about 1 ½ “ wide. Use the spatula to help you. The logs should be more rectangles than domes. But be sure they aren’t too flat. They will spread. Truc: If you work with your hands, dampen them slightly.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until they logs are golden, but still soft and springy to the touch. Transfer to a rack and cool for at least 30 minutes (or more). Truc: The longer you cool them, the easier it will be to slice them for the second bake.
If you turned off the oven, bring it back to 350º (if you're new at this, you'll have better control over the second bake if you bake them at 325º.)
Transfer the logs to a large cutting surface (use a big spatula) and slice them about 3/4” thick. Stand them upright on the sheet and bake them for about 15 more minutes, until they’re golden and firm. Be careful that they don't get too brown. Burnt nuts spoil the party.
This will yield, more or less, 4 dozen cookies.
Cool, store in tins. Theoretically, they keep.
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