Biscotti "Esse" al Limone
Squisiti Ragusani·(skwee-zee-tee rah-goo-zah-nee)
Weekend Bakery Box: Sunday Sweets and Cookie Tins
In the Americanized bakery, these cookies are often buried beneath a thick glaze and rainbow sprinkles, but the authentic old-world version from Ragusa relies entirely on the honesty of the dough. The secret to their profound aroma isn't a plastic bottle of extract, but the abrasive friction of rubbing fresh lemon zest directly into granulated sugar. Paired with a delicate, short crumb achieved by cutting cold fat into the flour, it is a masterclass in regional technique that requires nothing more than the contents of a standard midwestern supermarket.
Before you start
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Ingredients
- granulated sugar1 cup
- organic lemons2 large
- all-purpose flour3 1/2 cup
- baking powder1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- unsalted butter1/2 cup
- vegetable shortening1/4 cup
- large eggs2 large
- whole milk3 tbsp
- granulated sugar2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Extract the essential lemon oils.
In a large bowl, combine the 1 cup of granulated sugar and the lemon zest, rubbing them together vigorously with your fingertips for a minute until the sugar is pale yellow and resembles wet, highly fragrant sand.
- 02
Perform the sablage to cut in the fats.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt into the lemon sugar, then drop in the cold butter and shortening. Use your fingers to rub the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, coating the proteins to ensure a tender, crisp cookie rather than a tough one.
- 03
Form the dough gently.
Create a well in the center and add the eggs, gently mixing them with a fork while pulling in the flour. Knead gently with your hands, adding the milk one tablespoon at a time just until a smooth, cohesive mass forms without overworking it.
- 04
Rest the dough in the refrigerator.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes to hydrate the flour and firm the fats, preventing the cookies from spreading into puddles in the oven.
- 05
Shape the traditional S curve.
Break off heaping tablespoons of dough and roll each piece on an unfloured surface into a 3-inch rope about the thickness of a thumb. Curl the top end to the right and the bottom end to the left to form an S, spacing them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- 06
Bake until puffed and golden.
Brush the tops lightly with milk, sprinkle with the remaining granulated sugar, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom and edges. Let cool completely on a wire rack, where they will crisp up as they rest.
Notes
A note on ancestral ingredients.
While butter and baking powder are practical for a weeknight, the absolute traditional standard in Sicily utilizes high-quality rendered lard (strutto) and baker's ammonia (ammoniaca per dolci) dissolved in warm milk to achieve an impossibly friable, airy crunch.
The Italian-American bakery glaze.
If you want to replicate the festive cookie tin aesthetic of the diaspora, whisk a cup and a half of powdered sugar with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a splash of milk, dip the cooled cookies, and top with rainbow sprinkles.