PECAN NUT BISCOTTI WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE AND PRALINE

PECAN NUT BISCOTTI WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE AND PRALINE

(Makes ± 36 biscotti)

BISCOTTI

500 ml (260 g) cake flour

5 ml                 baking powder

2                      eggs, lightly beaten

250 ml (210 g) castor sugar

50 g                 butter (at room temperature)

5 ml                 vanilla essence

100 g               pecan nuts, toasted and lightly chopped

150 g               white chocolate, melted (for dipping)

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Grease and line a baking sheet.
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
• Add the eggs, castor sugar, butter and vanilla essence. Mix to a smooth dough (you can use a food processor to do this).
• Mix in all the nuts.
• Divide the dough in half. Roll each half on a lightly floured surface into a 20-cm-long sausage shape.
• Flatten and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
• Set the oven temperature to 120 °C.
• Using a very sharp knife, cut the biscotti logs into 1-cm-thick slices. Place the biscotti in a single layer slightly apart on greased or lined baking sheets.
• Dry out in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the biscotti are completely dried out and a light golden colour. Turn once during the baking time.
• Dip in the melted white chocolate and dust generously with the chopped praline

PECAN NUT PRALINE

80 g     castor sugar

80 g     toasted, chopped pecan nuts

TO MAKE THE PRALINE

Melt the sugar in a small frying pan on very low heat and allow to caramelise.  Stir in the nuts and pour the mixture onto baking paper or a silpat

Cool and crush (I normally use a rolling pin to crush it OR you can do it in a food processor)