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"BISCOTTI"
JULIA CHILD: WHEN YOU'RE
GOING TO AN ITALIAN WEDDING,
WHAT DO YOU BRING? WELL, A
GREAT BIG PLATTER OF
ASSORTED
COOKIES. AND HERE'S
NICK MALGIERI, WHO IS GOING TO
SHOW US HOW TO DO THEM.
NICK MALGIERI: WE SURE ARE.
WE ARE GOING TO START WITH
SOME ZALETTI THESE ARE
VENETIAN CORNMEAL COOKIES
THAT
HAVE SOME CURRANTS IN THEM.
AND ALTHOUGH WE DON'T THINK
OF CORNMEAL AS A DESSERT
INGREDIENT, IT'S PRETTY
COMMON
IN NORTHERN ITALY THERE ARE
SEVERAL COOKIES AND CAKES
MADE WITH CORNMEAL. LET'S
START MAKING THEM RIGHT NOW,
AS A MATTER OF FACT. AND I'LL
START WITH A CUP OF ALL-
PURPOSE FLOUR. AND I LIKE TO
MEASURE THE FLOUR BY GENTLY
SPOONING IT INTO THE CUP LIKE
THIS, AND THEN LEVELING IT
OFF.
JULIA CHILD: HOW MUCH DOES 1
CUP WEIGH, THEN?
NICK MALGIERI: THAT'S MAKES
ABOUT 4 AND A QUARTER, TO 4
AND A HALF OUNCES. THAT'S
JUST LEVELING IT OFF. SO
I'VE
GOT A CUP OF FLOUR, AND I'M
ALSO GOING TO USE A CUP OF
YELLOW CORNMEAL. WHAT I
REALLY LIKE TO DO IF I CAN,
IS
USE STONE GROUND CORNMEAL,
BECAUSE I FIND THAT THE
STONE
GROUND CORNMEAL HAS A LOT MORE
CORN FLAVOR.
JULIA CHILD: I THINK IT
DOES.
NICK MALGIERI: AND IT
DEFINITELY HAS A LOT MORE
OOMPH
THAN THE DEGERMINATED
CORNMEAL.
JULIA CHILD: IT'S CERTAINLY
COURSE CORNMEAL. YOU CAN
BUY THAT AT A HEALTH FOOD
STORE.
NICK MALGIERI: AND ACTUALLY
YOU CAN GET SOME STONE
GROUND CORNMEAL IN THE SUPER
MARKET, TOO.
JULIA CHILD: OH, GOOD.
NICK MALGIERI: SO, CONTINUING
ALONG WITH THE INGREDIENTS
HERE, I'VE GOT A THIRD OF A
CUP OF SUGAR, AND I'M NOT SO
CAREFUL ABOUT MEASURING THE
SUGAR. AND THEN WE'VE GOT A
QUARTER OF A TEASPOON OF SALT,
AND A TEA SPOON OF BAKING
POWDER, THAT'S JUST REGULAR
DOUBLE ACTIVE BAKING POWDER.
BUT I'M GOING TO SET THIS
ASIDE FOR A SECOND WHILE WE
GET
OUR LIQUID INGREDIENTS READY.
AND HERE I'VE GOT AN EGG
AND THAT'S A LARGE EGG, AND
YOLK. IF YOU CAN JUST SAVE
OUR EGG WHITE HERE FOR OUR
AMARETTI LATER ON, AND A
TEASPOON OF VANILLA EXTRACT
GOES IN.
JULIA CHILD: PURE VANILLA
EXTRACT.
NICK MALGIERI: PURE VANILLA
EXTRACT. SO HERE I'M
GRATING THE ZEST FROM A LEMON
AND WE'VE PREVIOUSLY RINSED
OFF THE LEMON, AND I FIND THAT
THIS KIND OF A GRATER THAT
HAS THESE DIAGONAL TYPE HOLES,
AS OPPOSED TO A BOX GRATER
THAT HAS THOSE KIND OF NAIL
HOLES IN IT, REALLY WORKS
WELL BECAUSE YOU GET A LOT OF
ZEST FROM ONE LEMON.
JULIA CHILD: YOU CERTAINLY
DO.
NICK MALGIERI: AND THE ONE
THING THAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT
THAT, I THINK, IS NOT TO PRESS
TOO HARD WHILE GRATING SO
THAT YOU DON'T GET A LOT OF
THAT WHITE STUFF THAT'S
UNDERNEATH THE OUTSIDE. SO
I'M JUST GOING TO WHISK THAT
UP TOGETHER AND I THINK WE ARE
ALMOST READY TO GO HERE.
HERE WE'VE GOT OUR EGG YOLK,
VANILLA AND LEMON ZEST
READY. AND I'M GOING TO TAKE
AND FIRST OF ALL JUST MIX
THE DRY INGREDIENTS, THAT IS
AGAIN THE CORNMEAL, FLOUR,
SUGAR, SALT, AND BAKING
POWDER. AND HERE I'VE GOT A
STICK OF BUTTER AND I'M JUST
GOING TO USE MY HANDS FOR
THIS AND I'M GOING TO RUB IT
IN WITH MY HAND.
JULIA CHILD: IMPECCABLY CLEAN
HANDS.
NICK MALGIERI: DEFINITELY.
THE BUTTER DOES NOT NEED BE
SOFTENED AT ALL, ALTHOUGH IF
IT HAS BEEN AT ROOM
TEMPERATURE FOR A FEW MINUTES
WHILE YOU'RE GETTING THE
OTHER INGREDIENTS READY THEN
IT WILL INCORPORATE A LOT
MORE EASILY. BUT THERE IS
ABSOLUTELY NO REASON NOT TO
USE BUTTER THAT'S COLD FROM
THE REFRIGERATOR.
JULIA CHILD: IT'S UNSALTED.
NICK MALGIERI: IT IS
UNSALTED, BUT I ALWAYS USE
UNSALTED
BUTTER. SO HERE WE'VE GOT OUR
BUTTER PRETTY WELL WORKED
IN. THIS IS THIS IS A CUP OF
CURRANTS WHICH WE RINSED
OFF UNDER SOME COLD WATER SO
THEY WOULD SEPARATE FROM
EACH OTHER, AND JUST PUT THEM
IN A STRAINER AND RINSE
THEM OFF UNDER SOME COOL
WATER. IF YOU FIND THAT THE
CURRANTS ARE A LITTLE BIT DRY,
THAT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU
CAN DO IS TAKE THE CURRANTS
AND RINSE THEM OFF UNDER
SOME
HOT WATER, AND THAT KIND OF
REHYDRATES THEM A LITTLE
AGAIN. I'M GOING TO TAKE A
RUBBER SPATULA AGAIN AND GET
MY EGG MIXTURE IN. AND, I
THINK I'LL JUST MIX THAT IN
BY
HAND BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO
TAKE AND TURN THIS OUT ONTO
THE WORK SURFACE.
JULIA CHILD: THIS PERFECTLY
SIMPLE MIXTURE, ISN'T IT?
NICK MALGIERI: YES, IT'S KIND
OF LIKE MAKING A PASTRY
DOUGH. THERE IS NOTHING
REALLY DIFFICULT. AND I
THINK
THE ONLY DIFFICULT THING IS
GETTING THE DOUGH OFF YOUR
HANDS, WHICH THIS IS KINDS OF
AN EASY WAY TO DO THAT, IF
YOU'RE ORGANIZED ABOUT IT,
THEN YOU DO ONE FINGER AT A
TIME. ITS EASIER AND IT IS A
LITTLE BIT CLEANER. SO
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS GET A
LITTLE BIT OF FLOUR HERE,
PUT IT ON THE WORK SURFACE,
AND I'M GOING TO TURN MY
DOUGH OUT ONTO IT. YOU SEE,
THE DOUGH LOOKS A LITTLE BIT
DRY RIGHT NOW, BUT JUST IN A
VERY LITTLE BIT OF PRESSING
THIS TOGETHER, THE DOUGH IS
GOING BE PERFECTLY SMOOTH.
AND THIS IS JUST COMPLETING
THE FINAL MIXING OF IT. AND
IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO KNEAD IT
A LOT. IT'S NOT AS THOUGH
IT'S BREAD DOUGH AND IT NEEDS
TO BE HANDMIXED A GREAT
DEAL. BUT, HERE WE GO. AND
THE AMOUNT OF FLOUR THAT'S
ON THE SURFACE IS JUST ENOUGH
TO KEEP IT FROM STICKING.
IT'S NOT AS THOUGH YOU NEED A
TON OF FLOUR. SO ANYWAY,
THIS IS EASY TO CUT, I'M GOING
TO USE THIS, KIND OF FIRM
RUBBER SPATULA HERE TO CUT THE
DOUGH IN HALF. AND I'M
GOING TO SHOW YOU TWO
DIFFERENT WAYS OF WORKING
WITH THE
DOUGH. ONE IS TO MAKE WHAT WE
CALL CLASSIC BISCOTTI.
AND BISCOTTI, OF COURSE ARE
TWICE BAKED COOKIES. FIRST
OF ALL, WE FORM THEM INTO A
LOG, YOU GRAB A LITTLE TINY
BIT MORE FLOUR THERE, WE FORM
THEM INTO A LOG, AND PUT
THEM ON A PAN. HERE IS MY
PAN. AND I'M GOING TO JUST
SLIDE THIS ON.
JULIA CHILD: WHAT IS THAT?
PARCHMENT PAPER?
NICK MALGIERI: THIS IS
PARCHMENT PAPER AND YOU KNOW
WHAT? FOIL WORKS JUST AS
WELL. SO HERE I'VE GOT MY
DOUGH ON THE PAN, I'M GOING TO
FLATTEN IT VERY SLIGHTLY,
I'M GOING TO THROW THERE INTO
THE OVEN NOW. THIS IS
GOING TO BAKE FOR 20 MINUTES
AT 350. THERE WE GO. AND
I'M GOING TO PUT THIS IN THE
TOP THIRD OF THE OVEN. NOW,
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WITH THE
REST OF THE DOUGH IS FORM
THIS ZALETTI LIKE THOSE
DIAMOND SHAPED COOKIES THAT
WE
SAW AT THE BEGINNING. EACH
ONE OF THESE IS GOING BE
ROLLED INTO A LOG, AGAIN
THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 12
INCHES
LONG. WE ARE GOING TO FLATTEN
THEM SLIGHTLY AND THEN
JUST CUT ACROSS AT A DIAGONAL,
TO MAKE DIAMOND SHAPES.
AND YOU SEE THAT WORKS
PERFECTLY. SO I THINK WE
WILL
JUST CUT A BUNCH AND PUT THEM
ALL TO THE PAN, BUT YOU SEE
THAT THOSE ARE EASY TO FORM.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT A COUPLE
OF LITTLE SCRAPS THERE, AND
I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT WE DO
WITH
THOSE.
JULIA CHILD: AND YOU WANT TO
KIND OF ROUGH LOOKING, I
GUESS.
NICK MALGIERI: THEY DON'T
NEED BE PERFECTLY FORMED,
THEY'RE NOT (PETITE FLEUR
PASSE) SO, THEY DON'T NEED
TO
BE 100 PERCENT PERFECTLY
FORMED. HERE'S MY LITTLE
SCRAP,
AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS
SLANT EACH END AND JUST MAKE
TWO LITTLE DIAMONDS OUT OF
THAT, TOO.
JULIA CHILD: VERY NICE.
NICK MALGIERI: SO THAT WE
WIND UP WITH A DIAMOND SHAPE
THERE, TOO. SO WE ARE GOING
TO PUT THESE IN THE OVEN,
THESE BECAUSE THEIR A LITTLE
BIT LESS THICK AND SMALLER
ARE ONLY GOING TO TAKE ABOUT
12 AND OR 15 MINUTES. AND A
GOOD PRECAUTION, SINCE WE ARE
PUTTING THAT AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE OVEN, I'M GOING TO
CHECK THOSE IF A FEW
MINUTES.
AND IF WE NEED TO WHAT WE CAN
DO IS SLIP A LITTLE PAN
UNDER THERE BECAUSE ESPECIALLY
IN AN ELECTRIC OVEN YOU'VE
GOT THE TWO LAYERS OF METAL SO
THAT THE FIERCE BOTTOM
HEAT IS NOT GOING TO BURN THE
BOTTOM OF THE COOKIES.
JULIA CHILD: GOOD.
NICK MALGIERI: OKAY HERE WE
HAVE THE BAKED ZALETTI. AND
I LIKE TO DO THEM SO THAT THEY
JUST HAVE A REALLY LIGHT
GOLDEN BROWN COLOR. THEY
DON'T NEED BE REALLY DARK.
SO
WE ARE GOING TO LET THEM COOL
OFF A LITTLE BIT, JUST TO
SHOW YOU HOW THEY SHOULD BE ON
THE BOTTOM, JUST A LITTLE
BIT GOLDEN.
JULIA CHILD: AND THEY'RE
STILL A LITTLE SOFT.
NICK MALGIERI: YES, SLIGHT
GOLDEN TOUCH.
JULIA CHILD: YOU DID PUT
ANOTHER PAN UNDER HERE.
NICK MALGIERI: THE BOTTOMS
ARE REALLY NICELY DONE, AND
THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CHARRED.
JULIA CHILD: THAT'S SUCH A
GOOD IDEA, I WOULD HAVE
NEVER
THOUGHT OF THAT, USING TWO
PANS.
NICK MALGIERI: IT WORKS
REALLY WELL. NOW HERE WE
HAVE
OUR LOG THAT WE BAKED, AND
IT'S A LITTLE COOLED OFF
ALREADY. BUT I'M GOING TO
TAKE IT AND MOVE IT OVER
HERE
TO THE CUTTING BOARD. AND I
LIKE TO CUT THESE ABOUT A
THIRD OF AN INCH OR SO, AND
YOU REALLY NEED TO USE A
SHARP SERRATED KNIFE TO DO
THAT. SO THESE ARE GOING BE
THE CLASSIC BISCOTTI, OR TWICE
BAKED COOKIES WHERE WE PUT
THEM BACK IN THE OVEN FOR A
SECOND BAKING WHERE THEY ARE
GOING TO TOAST VERY SLIGHTLY.
AND THESE ENDS, I ALWAYS
CONSIDER THEM MY REWARD. I
ALWAYS KIND OF NOSH THEM
RIGHT AWAY RATHER THAN PUT
THEM RIGHT BACK IN THE OVEN.
SO I'M GOING TO GRAB THESE A
FEW AT A TIME AND LINE THEM
UP ON THE PAN, HERE. AND THEY
DON'T NEED BE ANY DISTANCE
APART, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT
GOING BE DOING ANY GROWING
OR
SPREADING, JUST KIND OF LINING
THEM UP. AND THESE NOW
FOR THE SECOND BAKING ARE
GOING TO BECOME CRISP, SO.
JULIA CHILD: INTO THE OVEN.
NICK MALGIERI: SO WE ARE
GOING TO THROW THOSE INTO
THE
OVEN NOW, AND AGAIN IT'S AT
350, AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE
APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES OR SO
FOR THOSE TO BAKE TO THE
POINT WHERE THEY'RE GOING BE
CRISP. OKAY, HERE WE HAVE
THE ZALETTI BISCOTTI THAT
WE'RE TAKING OUT AND THESE
HAVE
BROWNED QUIET NICELY AS YOU
CAN SEE.
JULIA CHILD: HOW LONG WERE
THEY IN THERE?
NICK MALGIERI: THEY TAKE
ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR SO AT
350
TO COLOR LIKE THIS. AND YOU
SEE THAT THEY ARE A LITTLE
BIT DARKER THAN THE DIAMOND
SHAPED ZALETTI.
JULIA CHILD: AND THEY'RE VERY
CRISP.
NICK MALGIERI: THEY DO. IN
FACT, THEY'RE GOING TO CRISP
UP EVEN MORE AS THEY COOL.
AND ACTUALLY WE CAN PUT SOME
OF THESE ON OUR PLATTER NOW.
HERE WE HAVE OUR DIAMOND
SHAPED ZALETTI THAT WE CAN
FILL IN AMONG THE FESTIVE
RIBBONS HERE. AND EVEN THOUGH
THESE ARE WARM, I THINK
I'M GOING TO PUT ON A COUPLE
OF THE BISCOTTI HERE, TO
ROUND OUT THE ASSORTMENT. AND
THESE ARE REALLY GREAT,
AFTER THEY COOL THEY BECOME
NICE AND CRISP.
JULIA CHILD: I'M JUST GOING
TO TRY ONE.
NICK MALGIERI: I LIKE THEM
WARM, TOO. I THINK I'LL TRY
A LITTLE OF THAT ONE.
JULIA CHILD: THAT'S GOOD.
NICK MALGIERI: DO YOU SEE,
THEY DO CRISP UP A LITTLE
BIT.
JULIA CHILD: THANK YOU,
NICK.
NICK MALGIERI: THANK YOU,
JULIA.
"AMARETTI"
Series:
Baking With Julia
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