White Chocolate-Pistachio-Cornmeal Biscotti

Biscotti are twice baked cookies and are very dry in texture but taste great dunked in coffee. In Italy it is served with a dessert wine called Vin Santo. 

I must admit that these are the best biscotti I have ever tasted partly because of the cornmeal used in the dough. The combination of Pistachio with White chocolate....Well lets just say it's marriage made in heaven.  You should easily get about 40 biscotti with the recipe below.  Do slather them in (melted) white chocolate and sprinkle with nuts for added luxury.

White chocolate-Pistachio-Cornmeal Biscotti (Adapted from Better Homes)

Ingredients

3/4 cup room temperature softened Butter

1/2 cup granulated Sugar

1 tsp Baking powder

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 cup Cornmeal

11/2 cups All purpose flour

11/2 cups Pistachios or Almonds (put the pistachios in a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin)

200gms White chocolate buttons

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C. Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and baking powder and beat until combined, scraping the bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the cornmeal and flour along with the nuts and half of the chocolate and stir. Shape the dough into two or three loaves. Place on a greased baking tray at least 3-4 inches apart and bake for about 20-25 min. Cool for about 30 min and then cut each loaf carefully using a serrated knife into ½ inch slices and carefully arrange them on the baking sheet. Bake them for about 8-10 min and turn the cookies and bake them for another 8-10 min. Cool on wire rack. melt the reserved white chocolate and dip the biscotti and sprinkle with nuts. Store them in airtight containers for up to 3 days.