Recipe: Red wine biscotti

I served these savory cookies as dippers with the bone marrow custard, but they are great on their own or alongside a selection of cheeses.  As a biscotti, this recipe is not quite like others, as it has no egg except for on the surface, but you still bake it once, slice it then dry it out just like any other.

You will need:

1 1/4C            flour (plus extra to work the dough)

1/4C               sugar

3/4tsp             baking powder

1tsp                cracked black pepper

to taste           kosher salt

1/4C               finely chopped sundried cherries

1/2C               red wine (after burning off alcohol and any reduction)

1/3C               olive oil

1                     egg white

Method:

 - set oven to 350F / 177C

 - put the wine in a pan, burn off the alcohol and reduce slightly (to concentrate the flavour) till you have 1/2C

 - sift flour, sugar and baking powder together

 - mix in salt, pepper and cherries

 - add in the wine and oil and mix till smooth

 - use extra flour as needed to shape the dough into logs, then pat down the tops slightly

 - lightly whisk the egg white and brush the logs

 - bake 30 minutes at 350F / 177C

 - remove from the oven and cool slightly

 - lower the oven to 250F / 121C

 - cut thin slices from the logs

 - lay the slices flat on a tray and dry out in the oven, turning over halfway

 - cool completely and serve