Biscotti Quadrati

Rome isn’t known for a lot of desserts but what it lacks in quantity it certainly makes up for in quality! These square cookies (biscotti quadrati) are delicious with honey and nuts. You will not be able to stop eating these!

The Recipe

by volume                                               by weight

crust:

1ΒΌ cups all purpose flour             150 grams all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder     2 grams baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt                             2 grams salt

2 tablespoons sugar                      24 grams sugar

1/2 cup butter                                   113 grams butter

1 large egg                                          68 grams egg

topping:

1/2 cup honey                                  170 grams honey

1/4 cup brown sugar                    50 grams brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt                           1 gram salt

4 tablespoons butter                  56 grams butter

1 tablespoon heavy cream       15 grams heavy cream

3/4 cup whole almonds            105 grams whole almonds

1/2 cup hazelnuts                         75 grams hazelnuts

1/3 cup pine nuts                         45 grams pine nuts

 

Directions

Heat the oven to 375F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square pan with foil and butter the foil. Blend all crust ingredients together except the egg until the mixture resemble coarse meal.

Add the egg and mix just to combine.

Press the dough into the bottom of the pan.

Bake for 15 minutes just until the dough is beginning to brown around the edges.

Lightly toast the almonds, hazelnuts, and pine nuts until they are fragrant. I like to do this in a saute pan on the top of the stove but it can also be done on a sheet pan in the oven.

Bring the honey, brown sugar, and salt to a boil until the sugar is dissolved.

Boil without stirring for 2 minutes.

Add the butter and cream and boil and stir for 1 minute. Add all the nuts and stir to thoroughly coat.

Spread evenly over the baked crust and bake for 15 minutes until the top is caramelized and bubbling. Make sure there are bubbles all over the surface of the mixture and rotate the pan if necessary if there are hot spots in your oven.

Cool completely. Use the edges of the foil as a handle to lift the bars out of the pan. Flip them over and carefully peel off the foil.

Use a sharp knife to cut into the desired size pieces.

Alternatives

I love this combination of nuts but you can use any you like. A combination of pistachios and almonds would be particularly good and both nuts are native to Italy. You could also add a bit of spice to add a warm flavor to the biscotti quadrati. Cinnamon or allspice would be excellent choices.

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