PRETZEL AND POTATO CRISP MOON PIES
18 Servings
This dough looks dry at first but comes together with kneading. Do not worry about overworking it – with all that butter and the fat from the potato crisps there is not much opportunity for gluten to develop.
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1.5cm pieces
- 1 cup lightly crushed small pretzels
- 1 cup lightly crushed potato crisps
- 100g sugar
- 1/2t salt
- 220g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 18 large marshmallows
- 115g semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, coarsely chopped
- 2T refined coconut oil
Special equipment:
A 5cm-diameter biscuit cutter
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 175°C. Pulse butter, pretzels, potato crisps, sugar, salt, and 1 cup (219g) flour in a food processor until clumps form. Turn dough out onto a surface and knead gently to bring it together.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment to just under 2.5mm thick. (If it feels very soft, cover and chill for 20 minutes before proceeding.) Punch out rounds with a lightly floured cutter. Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2.5cm apart. Gather dough scraps and repeat the rolling and cutting process until no dough remains (you should get 36 rounds). Divide remaining biscuits between two more parchment-lined baking sheets.
Working in batches, bake biscuits, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Allow cooling for five minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer half of the biscuits to a wire rack. Allow cooling completely.
Meanwhile, turn over the biscuits remaining on baking sheets and top each with a marshmallow, flat side down (make sure marshmallows stand up evenly or sandwiches will
be crooked). If your oven has a convection fan, turn it off and bake biscuits until the marshmallows are softened and begin to puff but not brown, about four minutes. Remove from the oven and top with cooled biscuits, letting their weight gently push marshmallows to the edges. Allow cooling for at least one hour.
Melt chocolate and oil in a small heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), stirring occasionally, or melt in a small microwave-safe bowl in a microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between bursts. Dip half of each biscuit in chocolate, then sprinkle the top of the chocolate sides with salt. Chill biscuits for 15 minutes to harden chocolate before serving.
Do ahead:
Biscuits can be made two weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
COFFEE-HAZELNUT BISCOTTI
22 Servings
An extra egg yolk and plenty of butter help these biscotti stay tender.
What you’ll need:
- 2/3 cup blanched hazelnuts
- 3 large eggs
- 2T instant coffee powder
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 2t baking powder
- 1t salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 2t vanilla extract
- 85g coffee-flavoured
- chocolate, coarsely chopped
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 175°C. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, eight to ten minutes. Allow cooling, then very coarsely chop. Reduce oven heat to 160°C.
Separate yolk from one egg over a small bowl to catch egg white. Place yolk in another small bowl. Set egg white aside for brushing dough. Crack the remaining two eggs into a bowl with the yolk. Add espresso powder and beat with a fork to combine and dissolve.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1 cup (200g) sugar until light and creamy, about two minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl, then add egg yolk mixture and coffee extract; beat just to combine. Scrape down sides of the bowl and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Add hazelnuts and chocolate and mix just to evenly distribute. Divide dough evenly between two parchment-lined baking sheets. Run your hands under cold water, then shape each dough mound into a 12cm square about 2.5cm thick. Beat reserved egg white with a fork until foamy and brush over loaves (you will not need all of it). Sprinkle very generously with sugar.
Bake loaves, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until firm in the centre and starting to crisp at the edges, 30-35 minutes. (They will spread quite a bit as they bake.) Transfer baking sheets to wire racks; let loaves cool for 15 minutes.
Working one at a time, carefully transfer loaves to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice 12mm thick. Arrange biscotti cut side down on baking sheets and bake, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until dry and crisp, 30-35 minutes. Allow biscotti to cool.
Do ahead:
Biscotti can be baked one week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
PIZZETTES
20 Servings
Not to be confused with wafer-thin waffled pizzelles, this rich brownie-like biscuit packed with warm spices is exactly the opposite.
What you’ll need for the biscuits:
- 3/4 cup raw skin-on almonds
- 1 1/2 cups (188g) all-
- purpose flour
- 1t baking powder
- 1/2t salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick)
- unsalted butter
- 3/4t ground cinnamon
- 1/2t ground cloves
- 1/2t ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 115g bittersweet chocolate
- chips (about 1 heaping cup)
- 1t finely grated lemon zest
- 1t finely grated orange zest
What you’ll need for the glaze and assembly:
- 56g bittersweet chocolate
- 2t unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup (75g) powdered
- sugar
- Pinch of salt
Biscuits:
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 175°C. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened in colour and fragrant, seven to ten minutes. Allow cooling, then finely chop. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 190°C.
Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let sit for five minutes to infuse.
Whisk granulated sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Pour in the spiced butter, scraping the pan so you do not leave any spices behind, and whisk vigorously to combine. Add egg and egg yolk; whisk vigorously to combine. Mix in dry ingredients, then almonds, chocolate chips, lemon zest, and orange zest. Turn out onto a clean surface. Divide in half, then roll each half into a log about 4cm wide. Flatten logs to 5cm wide and slice on a diagonal into 2.5cm wide biscuits. Divide between two parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing at least 2.5cm apart.
Bake biscuits, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until firm around edges but still soft in the middle, eight to ten minutes. Allow cooling.
Glaze and assembly:
Melt chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), stirring occasionally, or melt in a small microwave-safe bowl in a microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between bursts. Add powdered sugar, salt, and 2T boiling water and whisk until the glaze is smooth.
Dip tops of biscuits into glaze and let sit, glaze side up, on a wire rack until glaze is set, for about two hours.
Do ahead:
Pizzettes can be made five days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or freeze for up to one month.
Recipes by Sohla El-Waylly, Carla Lalli Music, Chris Morocco, Molly Baz. This article originally appeared on bonappetit.com
