For something a little fancier and more substantial than crisps, I love these savoury biscotti from vegetarianepicure.com. They're dead easy to make and taste amazing, and they keep forever. If you can stay out of them, that is!
Oh, and the Persian Spinach Spread from the same website is seriously yummy.
SAVORY PARMESAN AND FENNEL BISCOTTI
These are very tasty with a glass of wine, an ideal thing to have on hand when guests might drop by. Parmesan cheese gives them depth of flavor, and the two peppers adds zing. Adjust the level of cayenne to your own taste.
2 cups flour
1/4 cup coarse ground yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 1/2 oz.)
2 tsp. fennel seed
1/2 cup pine nuts, chopped
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, black pepper and cayenne in a medium bowl and whisk it all together. Stir in the grated cheese, the fennel seed and the chopped pine nuts.
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and buttermilk. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir together with a fork until a crumbly dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it a few turns, just until it is smooth. It may still be slightly sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest about fifteen minutes.
Divide the dough into three equal parts. Take one part at a time, keeping the rest of the dough wrapped, and roll it out into a one-inch diameter log. It will look too skinny, more like a rope, but don't worry. Put the logs on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing them two inches apart, and flatten them just slightly with the palm of your hand.
Bake the logs at 375° for twenty minutes, until golden. The tops may split as they bake - again, don't worry. Let them cool on their baking sheet for a few minutes, then carefully transfer them to a rack and let them cool at least twenty minutes more. Meanwhile, lower the oven temperature to 225°.
Using a very sharp, thin, serrated knife, slice the logs on a diagonal, about 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the slices on parchment lined baking sheets (you will need two), and bake them for 35 minutes. Flip the biscotti over and bake again for another 35 minutes, or until they are dry and crisp. Let the biscotti cool completely on racks.
If you pack these biscotti in airtight tins, they will keep well for several weeks, but only if no one knows about them. They are delicious!
Makes about 5 dozen.
SAVORY CHEDDAR AND SEED BISCOTTI
Here's another version of my new favorite, savory biscotti. This one is made with a sharp cheddar cheese, mustard, cayenne to add some heat, and a combination of seeds for crunch and complexity. I have to give these away soon after I make them, because they are addictive.
2 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. dill seed
1/2 tsp. celery seed
3 1/2 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbs. melted butter
Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, the two peppers and the dry mustard in a medium bowl and whisk together. Stir in the seeds and the grated cheddar cheese.
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and buttermilk, then beat in the melted butter. Stir the wet mixture into the dry until a crumbly dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it a few turns, just until it is smooth. Do not work in any more flour than is needed to keep it from being very sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest about fifteen minutes.
Divide the dough into three equal parts. Take one part at a time, keeping the rest of the dough wrapped so it won't dry out, and roll each into a one-inch diameter log. Put all three logs on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing them two inches apart, and flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand.
Bake the logs at 375° for twenty minutes, until golden. The tops may split as they bake - this is fine. Let them cool on their baking sheet for a few minutes, then carefully transfer them to a rack and let them cool at least twenty minutes more. Meanwhile, lower the oven temperature to 225°.
Using a very sharp, thin, serrated knife, slice the logs on a diagonal, about 1/4" thick. Arrange the slices on parchment lined baking sheets, and bake them for 35 minutes. Flip the biscotti over and bake again for another 35 minutes, or until they are dry and crisp. Let the biscotti cool completely on racks.
If you pack these biscotti in airtight tins, they will keep well for several weeks (provided no one knows about them).
Makes about 5 dozen.
