Blue Cornmeal Dried Blueberry and Pinon Nut Biscotti

Category: Desserts & Sweets | Blog URL: http://cafelynnylu.blogspot.com/2009/08/blue-cornmeal-dried-blueberry-and-pinon.html

This recipe was entered in The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest, a compilation of the world’s best food blogs which was published in Fall 2010.

Photo: Lynne Daley

Ingredients

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sugar (4 ¾ oz)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup blue cornmeal

1 cup piñon (pine nuts) (4 ¼ oz)

1 cup dried blueberries (5 oz)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a large baking sheet (18x 13-inch) with parchment paper. Combine eggs, sugar, baking powder, and vanilla,

Beat until creamy looking.

The egg/sugar mixture will be thick and lemon colored.

Lower the mixer speed, add flour and blue cornmeal.

Beating gently until incorporated.

Stir in dried blueberries and pine nuts.

Dough will be very wet.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.

Shape into a rough log about 14 "x, 2 1/2 " wide X 3/4" thick. Smooth the top of the dough with a wet dough scraper.

Bake the dough for 25 minutes.

With dried fruit and nuts, bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on pan from 5-25 minutes. Spray with the water . Let stand 5 minutes to soften crust.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Wait 5 minutes.

Use a serrated knife to cut the biscotti 3/4"wide diagonally.

Set the biscotti upright on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

Store in an airtight container to preserve their texture. Biscotti can be stored at room temperature for two weeks

For longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze. Yield 14-16.

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About

A Southwestern twist on the traditional Italian biscotti, these crunchy little biscuits are comprised of blue cornmeal, dried blueberries and pine (piñon) nuts. Blue cornmeal has a sweet nutty taste and fine texture. The ground cornmeal comes from a variety of blue corn called the Hopi corn grown in the American southwest by the Pueblo Indians. Blue corn is one of the oldest varieties of corn and probably dates back to the Pre-Columbian era. Blue cornmeal is primarily blue gray to deep purple in color and can be used interchangeably with the more common yellow cornmeal.

Dried blueberries carry forward the blue theme and impart a chewy fruity flavor to the biscotti. Added crunch and texture comes from the another ancient food, the piñon (pine) nut. The authentic Southwestern piñon nut comes from Colorado piñon tree. Pine nuts are quick to go rancid, so buy fresh ones for this recipe.