From Bog to Biscotti

It’s been a long winter, here in Nova Scotia, with lots of cold weather, enough snow to make it a real winter, and enough ice and freezing rain to drive us indoors for days on end. And now March is here with its rollercoaster ride of temperature changes: there are warm days that let us know that spring is on the way, and frigid days with changing precipitation that let us know that spring isn’t officially here for another few weeks.

On the days when bad weather pins us down in our home, that’s the time for domestic activities, and that’s when Katharina starts baking. We’re lucky enough to live near a commercial cranberry bog, run by an energetic young couple making a real go of their agricultural enterprise in tough economic times. They produce a wide range of cranberry products, from raw fresh cranberries, to frozen and dried cranberries, to juices and spreads. And while we could pick our own wild cranberries on the nearby barrens and in local bogs and dry them in our kachelofen, it’s a lot easier to start a baking project with berries from Terra Beata cranberry farm.

Here’s a recipe from Katharina’s kitchen — a great fusion of traditional Italian baking with a special Nova Scotia ingredient. If you come join us on your Nova Scotia family vacation, you can kayak across the bay for your own tour of the Terra Beata cranberry farm. But until then, here’s a taste of the Maritimes that you can create in your kitchen, no matter where you are:

Traditional Italian–Nova Scotian biscotti

1 cup (145 grams) dried cranberries
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and extracts together. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until blended (about 30 seconds). Gradually add the egg mixture, and beat until a dough forms, adding cranberries about halfway through. With floured hands, divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough into a log about 10 inches (25 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Transfer logs to the prepared baking sheet, spacing the logs about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until firm to the touch (logs will spread during baking). Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

Transfer logs to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut the logs into slices 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick on the diagonal. Arrange evenly on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, turn slices over, and bake another 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 40 biscotti.

Enjoy with hot tea.