Mango Biscotti

There just aren't enough ways in the world to eat the glorious mango. So here's one more: Mango Biscotti.

Baking with mango -- and thinking up new goodies to make with mango-- is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen, as all the mango-based recipes here on Holy Cow! will attest. There are my Mango Cupcakes with Mango Buttercream Frosting. My Mango Bread which friends, relatives and coworkers can never get enough of. My Mango Cheesecake which puts dairy-based cheesecake to permanent shame, hands-down. Then there's Mango Cornbread, Mango Halwa, Mango Muffins, Mango Lassi, Mango Cashew Cream...you get the idea of just how deep this madness runs?


But can you really blame me? Who in their right minds does not love the mango, with its rich, velvety, golden sweetness. It's like biting into sunshine, really. And there's no better time to call on that sunshine than when the days are beginning to shrink on you, when summer's turning into a memory, and when the chill in the air is just the perfect excuse to get the oven going.

I have had to take some time off for medical reasons lately, which is why my posts have fallen short of chatty. In the past couple of days I've been able to get up and around the kitchen, but I still don't have the energy to spend hours at the computer. For those of you who like to hear me ramble, bear with me for now. There's a lot more to come.

For now, let's kick back and enjoy some Mango Biscotti.

Mango Biscotti

(Broadly adapted from this recipe)

(Makes 20 biscotti)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp powdered green cardamom seeds (optional, but amazing)

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup mango puree or pulp (I used the alphonso mango pulp I buy from the Indian grocery store, Feel free to use pureed fresh mangoes)

1/4 cup canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

3/4 cup sugar

1  tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

Mix together in a bowl the flour, cornmeal, salt, cardamom, baking powder and baking soda.

In a larger bowl, place the mango puree, the sugar, the vanilla extract and oil. Using a hand mixer or whisk, whisk on medium speed about 2-3 minutes to dissolve the sugar into the puree.

Now whisk in the flour in three batches, beating no more than 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula after every addition to ensure you have everything mixed in evenly.

Add the almonds and mix in with the spatula. Set the dough aside for five minutes. It will still be very sticky.

To shape the biscotti logs, get a bowl of water handy, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Divide the batter into half and place the two mounds side by side on the baking sheet. Dunk your hands in the bowl of water to get them soaking wet, then shape each mound into a log, about 9 inches long by 3 inches wide. You want the top to be flat. There should be at least two inches of space between the two logs because they will expand in the oven.

Place the biscotti logs into a 325-degree preheated oven. Bake 37 minutes until firm and lightly browned.

Remove the logs and place them on a rack to cool, about five minutes. Now remove them to a chopping board and, using a serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 3/4-inch thick slices. Be gentle because the logs are still not fully baked and you don't want them to crumble on you.

Place the slices, cut side down, on the baking sheeet. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake another 25-30 minutes or until the biscotti are lightly brown.
Remove to a rack and cool thoroughly.