During this time of the year I throw caution to the wind and abandon any previous boundaries I've had about keeping baked goods around the house. Excuse #1- My baking enterprises are gifts for family and friends. Excuse #2- It's the one time a year I can freely bake everything I've ever pinned. Excuse #3- New Years is around the corner and I will drastically revert back to my limited baking promises to myself. Yes, it's rationalizing at its finest. But what can I say, I LOVE to bake.
So if you know anything about Biscottis, you would know that there are two very different ideas of how a "real" biscotti should taste. One side might tell you that a traditional biscotti is made with no oil or butter, ultra crunchy, and strategically dipped in a hot cup of coffee to soak up it's yummy goodness. The other side would argue that a biscotti should be more like a cookie with a crumbling interior and crisp exterior, meant to be eaten at any time or place. Being that I was raised by an Italian mother that would have it no other way, I find myself in the first group of biscotti aficionados. A slightly sweet, craggy, biscuit begging to be dunked in a steamy cup of BLACK joe is what mom would approve. So, in my never ending journey to find the perfect recipe I stumbled across David Lebovitz's chocolate almond biscotti. One word: Delish!!! I then came across one of my other favorite bloggers, Smitten Kitchen. Deb had posted a recipe for a fig walnut biscotti. Exactly what I was looking for!!! Except the addition of butter......sigh.....not what I wanted. So in my pursuit, I borrowed the novel flavor combo of figs and walnuts and upped the anti with quality vanilla extract and a vanilla bean wash. And of course, the biscotti was sans oil, just the
way I like it! The end result, a rustic, crunchy biscotti peppered with seedy sweet figs and buttery walnuts scented with warm vanilla. Yum. I'm officially in biscotti bliss.
Vanilla Walnut Fig Biscotti
2 1/2 cups lightly scooped KA All purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped figs
2 cups toasted walnuts
Wet
2 eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
Wash 1 egg white
1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
Turbo ado sugar
Mix dry ingredients together in lg bowl.
Mix wet ingredients together in small bowl.
Mix wet into dry, work flour into wet dough with hands with a kneading motion until all dry is incorporated.
Form dough into 2 tight, long logs, the length of baking pan and place on silpat.
Flatten loaves slightly.
Brush top of gloves with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with turbinado sugar.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until firm when touched on top.
Remove, rest 15 min.
Slice with serrated knife an angle.
Arrange slices on a baking sheet and return to oven.
Bake 15 minutes and flip slices over. Bake another 15 minutes.
