Hazelnut cheese biscuits (Biscotti salati alle nocciole)

These can be served to guests with tea, but are even better with a glass of Malvasia wine, or as part of an aperitivo platter with cured meats, pickled cucumbers and cheese.

Hazelnut cheese biscuits (Biscotti salati alle nocciole) Credit: Paola Bacchia

• makes

  ~30

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

"From an antique bookseller in Italy, I purchased three of the five paperback cookbooks written by Marchesa Eta Polesini in the 1930s. The books all have the same title: Cosa prepare per i miei ospiti ('What I prepare for my guests'), each with a different subtitle, including 'Fish and meat' and 'Soups, leafy greens and legumes'. One of the Marchesa's recipes is Bretzel alle nocciole, savoury hazelnut and cheese biscuits that are shaped like a pretzel. They seemed a bit fiddly to make into twisted shapes, but they also make lovely round biscotti."

Ingredients

• 200 g (1⅓ cups) plain flour
• 50 g (⅓ cup) spelt flour (or wholemeal flour)
• 80 g hazelnuts, ground to a flour
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• big pinch of cayenne pepper
• 60 g emmental or jarlsberg, finely grated
• 90 g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1–2 tbsp milk, for brushing
• ¼ tsp sea salt flakes

Refrigeration time: 1 hour or overnight

Instructions

1. Place the flours, hazelnut flour, salt and spices in a large bowl. Whisk briefly to combine. Add the cheese, butter and egg. Mix with a large spoon and then with your hands, to mix and bring the dough together, adding a few teaspoons of water. Taste and check there is enough salt.
2. Shape into two logs, each about 12 cm in length. Wrap tightly in baking paper, twisting the ends so that the dough parcel is sealed off. Rest in the fridge for about an hour, or even overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line two baking trays with baking paper. These biscuits do not spread, so you can place them quite close to each other.
4. Unwrap the dough logs, then slice each log into rounds, about 5–6 mm thick. I used a 6 cm cookie cutter to help me make the perfect round, bashing the surface with the side of a wide knife to make the top flat. Brush with a little milk. Crush a few salt flakes with your fingertips and scatter them over each biscuit before placing in the oven.
5. Bake for about 14 minutes, or until the biscuits turn golden around the edges. Cool on a wire rack. 

Note

• These biscuits will keep in an airtight container for 4–5 days.

Istria: Recipes and stories from the hidden heart of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia by Paola Bacchia, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $55.00). Photography by Paola Bacchia.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

"From an antique bookseller in Italy, I purchased three of the five paperback cookbooks written by Marchesa Eta Polesini in the 1930s. The books all have the same title: Cosa prepare per i miei ospiti ('What I prepare for my guests'), each with a different subtitle, including 'Fish and meat' and 'Soups, leafy greens and legumes'. One of the Marchesa's recipes is Bretzel alle nocciole, savoury hazelnut and cheese biscuits that are shaped like a pretzel. They seemed a bit fiddly to make into twisted shapes, but they also make lovely round biscotti."