Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti

These Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti are ideal for an evening dinner party. Their crisp texture is accented by the richness of parmesan and the bite of black pepper — perfect for nibbling in between sips of wine or serving with Minestrone Soup

I made these for a party at which there were many really delicious hors d'ouvres.  Maybe that's why there was a ton left over. I loved them though. They would be great as a snack or good with soup. I crushed the peppercorns very coarsely with a coffee grinder and increased the amount a little bit which resulted in a spicy bake that was maybe a bit much for some (party poopers).

Okay for me since I love black pepper.

Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 scant tablespoon whole black peppercorns, or more
• 2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2  1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
• 3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Directions:

1. Put oven rack in middle of your oven and preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking liner.
3. Pulse peppercorns in grinder until coarsely ground; alternately grind with mortar and pestle. 
4. I a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, ¾ of the cheese, and ¾ of the ground black pepper.
5. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
6. Whisk 2 eggs with milk and add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork until a soft dough forms.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly and cut in half.
8. Using well-floured hands form each piece into a slightly flattened 12-inch-long log (about 2 inches wide and 3/4 inch high).
9. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, arranging so logs about 3 inches apart.
10. Whisk remaining egg and brush some over logs, then sprinkle tops of logs evenly with remaining cheese and ground pepper.
11. Bake, until logs are pale golden and firm, about 30 minutes total.
12. Cool logs to warm on baking sheet on a rack, about 10 minutes.
13. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.Carefully transfer  warm logs to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife.
14. Arrange slices, cut sides down, in 1 layer on a baking sheet.
15. Bake, turning over once, until golden and crisp, 35 to 45 minutes total. 
16. Cool biscotti on baking sheets on racks, about 15 minutes.
17. Store in air tight container to maintain freshness.

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