Parmesan Biscotti - January Secret Recipe Club

A chill is in the air and soup is my favorite indulgence right now. Recently I made a big pot of Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (recipe to come later this week) and I wanted the perfect treat to accompany it. Not just any old bread would do for this mouth-watering soup... no, it was perfect for my January Secret Recipe Club post for Parmesan Biscotti.

Last month with the holidays and all the club took a little break and so did my kitchen. Finishing up the 1st trimester of this pregnancy my love of food wasn't really calling out any meal ideas. I am happy to say that my desire to cook and bake is slowly coming back.

This month I was assigned to Jane's Adventures in Dinner. The site is packed with all sorts of recipes from appetizers to desserts. A proud Canadian, mother and fellow food lover, Jane is a Secret Recipe Club member similar in many ways to myself. With my main course of soup on my mind, I searched through her recipe collection to find the perfect pairing and I found it. Since my soup was infused with lemon, dill and chicken flavors I thought a Parmesan Biscotti with a little oregano and lemon zest would fit in nicely.

...and it was!

My chicken soup was incomplete without a little texture and crunch and this savory biscotti was the answer for our dinner solution. It was easy to make and nice change from my usual soft loaves of fresh baked bread. It also did a great job helping me use up eggs from my hens. The flavor is bright from the fresh lemon zest and just cheesy enough to satisfy that need as well.

Parmesan Biscotti
adapted from Jane's Adventures in Dinner

You Will Need:
2 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 lemon, finely zested
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. baking powder
5 large eggs
1/4 c. cold water

Preheat the oven to 330 degrees.

Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together and then add to the dry ingredients.

It will come together in a craggy ball. Take off those rings and get in there to make sure it is all moistened evenly. Start with 1 tablespoon of water and keep adding until you can get it to all come together. I ended up using about 1/4 cup total.

Place the dough on a sprayed sheet of cling wrap. This way it won't stick and you can roll and shape the dough without making a big mess.

Sprinkle the formed log with more shredded Parmesan Cheese and then place it on aluminum foil on a baking sheet to bake for 30 minutes. The log should come out firm and ready for slicing.

I sliced mine at a slight angle and around 1/2 thick each. Place them back on the sheet pan, sprinkle the tops with a little more Parmesan and re-bake for 20 minutes.  I wanted a little color on my pieces so I finished them off with just a quick trip under my broiler.

Not my usual cheese toast or soft bread, these were a hit and lovely new recipe find. A great treat for even the yeast-phobic cooks out there. I hope you will give this recipe a try and stop over at Jane's blog for even more delicious ideas.

Now check out the other Secret Recipe Club selections for January: