Biscotti Regina
A Sicilian-style Italian cookie coated in sesame seeds with a crisp texture.
Ingredients
all-purpose flour (scoop into measuring cup and level off)
3 cups
sugar
1 cup
baking powder
1 teaspoons
salt
1/2 teaspoon
cold unsalted butter (cut into 12 pieces)
12 tablespoons (1- sticks)
large eggs
3 large
vanilla extract
2 teaspoons
egg wash (beaten with a pinch of salt)
2 large eggs
raw sesame seeds
2 cups
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven
Position racks in the upper third and lower third of the oven and preheat to 325°F (160°C). Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or foil.
2
Mix dry ingredients
Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few times to mix evenly.
3
Make the dough
Add the butter and pulse repeatedly until the butter is fully incorporated but the mixture remains a cool powder. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and pulse repeatedly until the dough comes together.
4
Shape the dough
Invert the processor bowl onto a floured work surface and carefully remove the blade. Briefly knead the dough 2 to 3 times until smooth. Shape the dough into a rough cylinder. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions using a bench scraper or knife.
5
Roll and cut
Roll 1 portion of dough into a rope about 15 inches (38 cm) long. Cut the dough into cylinders about 3 inches (7 cm) long. Repeat with the remaining dough, lining up the cut cylinders on the left side of the work surface.
6
Prepare coating
Once all the cookies are shaped, place the egg wash and sesame seeds in separate shallow bowls next to the cookies, and set the baking sheets to their right.
7
Coat with egg wash and sesame
Drop one cookie into the egg wash and use a fork to turn it so it is fully coated. Lift it out with the fork, let the excess egg wash drip off, and place it on the sesame seeds. Use another fork to roll the cookie until it is completely coated in sesame seeds. Use the same fork to transfer the coated cookie onto the prepared baking sheet.
8
Arrange
Repeat with the remaining cookies, spacing them about 1.5 inches (4 cm) apart and distributing them evenly across the baking sheets.
9
Bake
Bake the cookies until they are puffed, firm, and the sesame seeds are golden, about 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, swap the top and bottom baking sheets and rotate them front to back. If the oven bottom heat is too intense, double up a sheet pan beneath the lower baking sheet to insulate it.
10
Cool
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets.
