Mel’s hazelnut and orange biscotti
“I first met Melanie Russo when she attended kinder with my daughter Pam, so I have known her a long time. Melanie’s big, bold cooking smacks you in the mouth. My father started working for the Russo brothers, Joe and Jack (distant cousins to Mel’s family), in the early 1950s. Joe, Jack and Diego bought a farm in Tyabb called Cumbrae. I first met Mel’s father, Tony, in year 7 at tech school. His parents, David and Cathy, supplied my cafe with an abundance of herbs and vegetables. Jack’s daughter Teresa is married to Ange, who is my son Paul’s godfather. Joe’s son Tom did all the cabinetry work at the cafe. The names Russo and Mirabella have been entwined for generations in one form or another; their children have been playing together for years. Mel’s biscotti recipe is a treasure to savour with every bite.” — Guy Mirabella
MAKES 24
3 egg whites, at room temperature
250g (2¼ cups) ground hazelnuts
100g (1 cup) almond flour
250g (1 cup) caster sugar
2 teaspoons natural hazelnut extract
grated zest of 1 orange
150g (1 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar, for coating
160g (½ cup) good quality marmalade, or Ganache (see below) or Nutella
ganache
200g dark (70% cocoa) chocolate, chopped
200ml ¾ cup) thick cream (double/heavy)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Lightly whisk the egg whites with a fork in a large bowl until light and frothy, then add the ground hazelnuts, almond flour, caster sugar, hazelnut extract and orange zest and mix well.
Sift the icing sugar into a separate bowl, ready for coating the biscotti.
Roll a heaped tablespoon of biscotti dough into a ball, then coat the ball in icing sugar. Place the balls on the prepared baking tray and squash or press down on each ball with your thumb, creating a well in the centre of each biscotti and also a few cracks. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the biscotti are lightly brown on top and golden underneath. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Place a heaped ¼ teaspoon of marmalade onto each biscotti. Alternatively, fill with Ganache (see below) or Nutella. Or do half with marmalade and the other half with ganache.
These biscotti will keep for up to a week stored in an airtight container.
To make the ganache, put the chocolate into a large heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over a low heat until it comes to simmering point, then pour it over the chocolate. Do not stir. Cover with a tight fitting lid or cling wrap for 10 minutes, then stir well. Add the maple syrup and stir again. Strain the ganache into another bowl and allow it to cool overnight.
This is an edited extract from Pranzo by Guy Mirabella, Hardie Grant Books, RRP $70.
