Fwd: Sweet Savvy Recipe - Wheat-free French Biscotti and Evaporated Cane Juic...

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26 September 2008

 

Greetings!

 

 

I'm late today sending out this newsletter because I worked much of the day today updateding the recipes.

 

Recently I've discovered that "evaporated cane juice" has come to be used on a wide variety of cane sweeteners, including some that are very refined. So I rewrote my description of evaporated cane juice and am now calling it "unrefined cane sugar." I've written a complete description of all the cane sugars at Sweet Savvy: Unrefined Cane Sugar, so you can tell which is which, regardless of what the label says. And I've changed all the recipes to say "unrefined cane sugar."

 

So now, here's a recipe using the real unrefined cane sugar...and it's wheat-free too...

 

French Chestnut Biscotti

 

Just after the Autumn Equinox (which is right now), chestnuts are harvested, and chestnut flour is made. Indeed, I received an email from Allen Creek Farm--where I got my chestnut flour last year--that I could preorder for October delivery.

 

I love chestnut flour. Last year I made a wonderful Chestnut Flour Cake , and this year I thought I would try a cookie.

 

I found a recipe for a charming French cookie called a croquant, which is akin to what we call a biscotti here in America. It is made in the same way as biscotti, by baking the dough in a log, then slicing and baking the slices. These cookies are included (though are optional) in the traditional treize desserts de Noël (thirteen desserts of Christmas) in Provence, so you might want to keep this one in mind for holiday gifts, particularly if you have family or friends who don't eat wheat.

 

Once cooled, these croquants can be dipped in bittersweet chocolate, if you want.

 

The original French recipe calls for making these with chestnut flour only, however, you can substitute other flours for up to half of the chestnut flour. When I tested this recipe, I made it with all chestnut flour.

 

Like biscotti, you can use this basic recipe and add whatever nuts and dried fruits you want. I can imagine walnuts and dried figs, pecans and raisins, almonds and dried cranberries...mmmmmm.......

 

To test the recipe, I made them with raisins only, because I thought there was enough nuts already with the chestnut flour, almond meal, and almond butter. They were delicious and my husband loved them too. After I tasted them, I thought anise seeds would be a perfect addition.

 

These are not sweet sweet cookies, but taste like autumn in a bite. And I like that they are rustic and come from a pre-industrial time.

 

The French name for these cookies is Croquants Châtaigne et Noix, which translates literally to "Biscotti Chestnut and Nuts". If you want to be fancy, you can insert the French word for the specific nut you are using (if you are using nuts):

 

French termEnglish termNoixWalnutsNoix de cocoCoconutsNoix du BrésilBrazil nutsNoix de cajouCashew nutsnoixnutsNoix du Brésilbrazil nutsNoix de cajoucashew nutsNoix de cocococonutsNoix du QueenslandmacadamiaNoix de PécanpecansNoix communeswalnutsAutres fruits et noixOther fruit and nuts

 

 

FRENCH CHESTNUT BISCOTTI

 

makes 2 dozen

 

7/8 cup (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) chestnut flour

1 cup ground almonds (or almond meal)

1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon unrefined evaporated cane juice (such as Sucanat or Rapadura)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 eggs

2/3 cup nuts, toasted and chopped OR dried fruits, chopped OR a mix of nuts and fruits

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

 

 

Combine the flour, ground almonds, unrefined evaporated cane juice, and salt in a medium mixing bowl or a mixer.

Add the almond butter, and mix until combined.

Add the eggs one by one, and mix until combined (the dough will be tacky).

Fold in the nuts and dried fruits (by hand, if you were using a mixer).

Cover, and chill for an hour (the dough will be easier to handle).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.

Divide the dough in two, and shape each half into a flattened log (about 12" by 2") on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, until browned and lightly crusty.

Remove from the oven (leave the heat on) and let the logs cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the logs in diagonal slices, about 3/4" in thickness. Return the slices to the baking sheet, one cut side up, and bake for another 10 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

If you wish to dip in chocolate, have ready a sheet of parchment paper or silicone baking mat, placed on a cool baking sheet. Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler (or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water). Dip one cut side of each croquant into the chocolate, transfer to the prepared sheet, and leave out in a cool, dry spot until the chocolate has hardened. For a thicker coating, dip again.

 

 

for more recipes and information on sweeteners and health, visit

 

sweetsavvy.com

 

got a question? want to share a recipe?, visit

 

Sweet Savvy Q&A Blog

 

links to websites that sell natural sweeteners

 

SWEET SAVVY ~ NATURAL SWEETENER RECIPES is a weekly sampling of scrumptious sweets from Debra Lynn Dadd.

 

All recipes are made only with natural sweeteners ~ no refined white sugar or artificial sweeteners. All ingredients mentioned can be purchased at natural food stores. more...

 

The intention of this newsletter is to introduce readers to natural sweeteners of all kinds. The only intent is to show how natural sweeteners can be used to make a variety of favorite sweets. If there are ingredients in these recipes you choose not to eat, please make the appropriate substitutions.

 

© copyright 2007 Debra Lynn Dadd.

 

 

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