Origin and Italian usage

The word "biscotti" ( , ) in Italian is the plural form of biscotto, which applies to any type of biscuit, and originates from the medieval Latin word biscoctum, meaning "twice-baked": it defined biscuits baked twice in the oven, so they could be stored for long periods of time, which was particularly useful during journeys and wars. Pliny boasted that they would be edible for centuries. Biscotti were a staple of the diet of the Roman Legions. Through Middle French, the word was imported into the English language as "biscuit". Biscotti is derived from the word "bis" which in Italian means twice and "cotto" meaning cooked.

North American usage: cantucci

In North America, the Italian term "biscotti" has been taken to refer to a specific type of biscuits, derived from Tuscan cantucci, a type of hard almond-flavoured biscuits traditionally served with vin santo, probably originating from the town of Prato and therefore still known as "biscotti of Prato".

American biscotti are indeed crisp cookies often containing nuts or flavored with anise. Traditionally, biscotti are made by baking cookie dough in two long slabs, cutting these into slices, and reheating them to dry them out. Biscotti have a very low moisture content. A basic recipe is a mix two parts flour with one part sugar with enough eggs to create a stiff batter. To the mixture baking powder and flavorings such as anise, chocolate, or nuts are added. The slabs are baked once for about twenty-five minutes. They are then cut up into individual cookies and baked again for a shorter period. The longer this second baking is, the harder the cookies will be. In contrast to the Italian version paired with wine, American biscotti more frequently accompany Italian-style coffee- and espresso-based beverages, including cappuccinos and lattes.

See also

• Zwieback
• Rusk

External links

• Recipes
• Cooking For Engineers: biscotti recipe
• Twice-Cooked Delights. Retrieved February 26, 2005.