Lacking the language, I followed along: Mornings: market. Afternoons: kitchen. Evenings: table, candles, wine, oranges and pistachios. On the weekend, in Rome, her grandfather showed me old photos and her grandmother, in exasperation, urged: “Parla italiano! E facile!”
Then Lucia’s mom packed us into the car, careened around corners and lurched to a stop at the station. She walked her stippled leather boots across the hall, ordered an espresso and downed it, standing up.
I’ve always minded that lesson. Sometimes I embellish with a crisp orange/pistachio bite. It’s as close as I get to speaking Italian. As promised: It goes down easy.
Pistachio Biscotti
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 1 hour
Makes: About 2 dozen
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup almond flour (aka almond meal)
1 tsp. baking powder
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 cup roasted, salted pistachios (no shells)
1/4 cup sanding sugar
Mix: Whisk together flour, almond flour and baking powder. Set aside.
Fluff: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, vanilla and zest, 1 minute. Beat in flour mixture. On low speed, mix in nuts.
Shape: Divide dough in two. Heap one portion onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. With lightly floured hands, shape into a low loaf, about 7 inches long, 4 inches wide and ¾-inch high. Sprinkle with half the sanding sugar, pressing it lightly into the top of the loaf. Repeat, shaping another loaf with remaining dough on a second baking sheet.
Bake: Slide baking sheets into a 300-degree oven and bake until set, 30 minutes. Let cool.
Slice: Use a serrated knife to slice each loaf crosswise into ½-inch thick slices. Tip slices over, cut-sides down on the parchment.
Crisp: Slide pans back into a 300-degree oven and bake until golden and dry (but not hard), about 13 minutes per side. Cool. Enjoy with espresso.
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