Parmesan and black pepper biscotti are the perfect salty, savory, cheesy soup dunkers.
parmesan and black pepper biscotti

We can’t be expected to just quit cookies cold turkey, you know.

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One minute they’re breakfast, lunch, dinner, and second dinner (aka dessert)…and the next we’re cleaning our pantries to make way for quinoa and lentils and all things virtuous, and tossing them in the trash like they’re yesterday’s news.

We appall me. Really.

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Well I, for one, am taking a stand.

There will be cookies in my kitchen and I WILL LIKE IT.

I will really like it when they’re cheesy and salty and the perfect dunkers for tomato soup, chili, and pretty much all the hot belly-warming things I want to be eating right now because WINTER.

Parmesan and black pepper biscotti = you complete me.

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This recipes makes a SURPLUS of biscotti (in a good way), so I sent some of the extras to my Leftovers Club partner, Ginger of Stark Raving Delicious. She sent me THE MOST FABULOUS almond sugar cookies. I won’t tell you how many of them the.boy and I ate within the first 24 hours of having them (all of them). You probably want to go get the recipe from her. Just saying.

Parmesan and Black Pepper Biscotti
 
Parmesan and black pepper biscotti are the perfect salty, savory, cheesy soup dunkers.
Yield: 4 dozen biscotti
Ingredients
  • 1½ tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 4 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
  • 1½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350F.
  2. Pulse the peppercorns in a spice or coffee grinder until coarsely ground.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cheese, and 1 tbsp of the black pepper. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand. Mix three of the eggs and milk into the dough with a fork until the dough comes together.
  4. Divide the dough into quarters. Form each piece into a 12-inch log. Transfer to two parchment-lined baking sheets (two logs on each).
  5. Whisk the remaining egg and brush it onto the surface of the logs. Sprinkle with the remaining pepper. Put in the oven and bake, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until the logs are pale gold, about 30 minutes total. Cool for 10 minutes.
  6. Lower oven to 300F.
  7. Cut each log on a diagonal into ½-inch thick slices. Arrange on the baking sheets, cut side down. Bake, turning biscotti once, until golden and crisp, 35-45 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 biscotti

 Looking for soup to dunk these in? Check out these:

tomato soup with brown butter, kale, and pistachios

Tomato Soup with Brown Butter, Kale, and Pistachios

vegetarian sweet potato chili

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili

wheat berry and white bean soup with savoy cabbage

Wheat Berry and White Bean Soup with Savoy Cabbage

From Around the Web:

Farro and Quinoa Sriracha Chili from Bakeaholic Mama

Cauliflower Roasted Red Pepper Soup from Gal On A Mission

Vegan Carrot Jalapeno Soup from Joy the Baker

Fall Harvest Vegetarian Chili from The Roasted Root

Smoked Paprika Sweet Potato Soup from Naturally Ella

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68 Responses to Parmesan and Black Pepper Biscotti

  1. Sune Moolman says:

    This is freakin’ genius! Cookies for ever and ever and ever! 😀 Hurray!!

  2. Oh my gosh! A savory biscotti!! Biscotti the only type of baking I can do! Perfect!!!!

  3. How unique! Love the idea of a savory biscotti. Soup’s on for lunch here today – wish I had me some of your biscotti to go with it 🙂

  4. OMGahhhh. Parmesan…in biscotti! This is my dream.

  5. June Burns says:

    What an interesting biscotti flavor! It sounds interesting though 🙂

  6. Jen E says:

    I seriously can not wait to try these!

  7. omigosh these are the PERFECT soup dunkers! So yummy! I’ve never had savory biscotti but I’m 90% sure I’d like it more than the sweet kind!

  8. Sues says:

    Now, this is totally my kind of biscotti!! I think I’d probably eat it with a dirty martini 🙂

  9. Heather says:

    These speak to my soul. I am pinning now and picking up ingredients today. I don’t think I’ll be able to wait for the weekend to make these!!

  10. Lori R. says:

    Oooh, a savory biscotti! Great idea! Sigh. I miss cookies. We are almost out and I’m trying not to bake another batch for fear the cycle will start all over again. 🙂

  11. SallyBR says:

    Savory biscotti! Love it…. Biscotti will always bring to my memory a particular trip to Italy in which too much fun was had dipping biscotti in Vin Santo. If you’ve never had Vin Santo, be VERY careful how you make acquaintance with it…. alcohol level is sky high and the biscotti makes you forget all about it

    fun times

  12. I still need to try out making biscotti at home. These look like a wonderful, savory version!

  13. Love the idea of savory biscotti! Perfect for dunking in soup on these chilly days!

  14. Meg says:

    Four dozen biscotti is definitely a plethora of biscotti . . . but I’m not even going to pretend like I think that’s a bad thing! 🙂 Very cool idea, and can certainly see myself dunking these in every soup imaginable!

  15. ummm, yes please! these look awesome as always joanne! AND i think i have everything to make them at home. 🙂 🙂 🙂

  16. Pam says:

    What’s not to love? I think they would be especially amazing dipped in some hot soup. YUM.

  17. A savory and cheesy biscotti is what I need to dip into my chicken soup tonight! Gah – I wish you had been my Leftovers club partner!

  18. Shaina says:

    Yum!! I have never had a savory biscotti but the flavors here sound incredible

  19. I. Love. These. These biscotti will be on my things to do this weekend, for sure! Pinned!

  20. Lynn says:

    These look amazing. And now I’m off to look at that sugar cookie recipe. 🙂

  21. Excellent! Cookies turned into dinner 😀

  22. So, totally delicious – Joanne – I want some NOW and it’s only breakfast time:)

  23. Julia says:

    Savory biscotti? Ugh, how did you get to be so smart? I kinda want to crumple up 17 biscottis and jam pack them into my chili. Biscotti chili”s a thing, right? Love this!

  24. This looks like my new favorite thing!

  25. As much as I love sweet biscotti, I find the savoury version the best! Now all I need is a bowl of hot steaming soup :-))

  26. mjskit says:

    What a unique recipe! I really do need to be making a batch of these day. Thanks for sharing this!

  27. cheri says:

    I really like these savory biscotti Joanne. Happy 2015!

  28. I have never thought to make savoury biscotti. What a genius idea. I can just imagine dipping it in to some leek and potato soup.

  29. Cailee says:

    Okay, first of all, these are like the coolest little savory cookies ever!! And secondly I couldn’t agree more!! Seriously, lasting change doesn’t just happen over night!! That’s why I encourage a balanced diet ALL year long!! Love your approach! 🙂

  30. Faye says:

    I tried to quit cookies cold turkey, but it just didn’t work. I guess I need to wean myself off of them slowly over the next 12 months haha…your Biscotti look awesome!

  31. Lisa says:

    Now I am starving. I will have cookies in my house too! I am sure they are ideal paired with some warming soup.

  32. Hotly Spiced says:

    These do look really, really good for dunking into a soup. I think I’ve only ever had sweet biscotti. Must fix that xx

  33. Eileen says:

    These guys make me want a vat of hot tomato soup immediately! Such a good idea to perk up a simple dinner.

  34. Can’t go wrong with a nice piece of toast topped with butter and maybe honey in my case! That’s a childhood favorite for me . Bring back good fuzzy memories 🙂

  35. What a fab idea Joanne this is so damn inventive! MUST try it!

  36. Joanne, I’m all about soup (well, and healthy stuff) right now because I’m in freaking cold-ass Wisconsin. . but I’m focusing on the positives . . like my warm, comfy wool socks and thermals and these soup dippers!!! salty, savory and cheesy?! yes!

  37. I’ll gladly join you in your cookie crusade! Hooray for savory biscotti!!

  38. oh my gosssssshhhhhhh!!! You are seriously the best! I can just imagine dunking these in a nice creamy bowl of tomato soup (one of my favorite soups) or maybe even breaking them up in smaller pieces for a salad or just eating them by the fistful. Yum.

  39. Kate says:

    Savory biscotti sound amazing

  40. Kim says:

    Brilliant! These are perfect for dunking into soup, and baby, it’s COLD outside! (My weather app actually said “feels like 2” this AM. TWO. I’m in NC, this is unacceptable!)

  41. Mira says:

    Genius idea Joanne! Never tried savory biscotti!
    Pinned and will make them 🙂

  42. I want these in a bad way!! Love all the savory elements!

  43. Wow I can’t say I’ve had savory biscotti before. This sounds amazing! Would go great your sweet potato chili!

  44. Savory biscotti? I’ve never tried that but what a great idea!!

  45. Barbara says:

    joanne….how fabulous! Can’t wait to make these!
    Happy New a Year!

  46. I cannot wait for winter to dunk these into soup!

  47. I could make a meal out of these alone. No soup required.

  48. Your biscotti looks absolutely delicious, I love the black pepper in it 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  49. Johanna GGG says:

    love these – though I find it odd to call it cookies – while we call cookies “biscuits”, I grew up calling crackers “dry biscuits” and I think that term would do me quite well here! But a rose by any name would smell as sweet, or in these case, taste as amazing

  50. I’m not a huge bread eater but girl you so are tempting me right now lol.

  51. You are so right, why should we quit everything cold turkey?! I’m a soup lover, and these are the perfect dunkers. Pinning!

  52. Kelly says:

    Love the idea of savory biscotti! You are a genius! These are perfect for dunking in the gallons of soup I’ve been making to keep warm.

  53. Mama mia! Joanne, despite loving sweet biscotti, these savory parmesan biscotti steal my Italian heart even more since I prefer savory over sweet bread any day! Graze mille for being so kind to share this! I am inspired! And that is saying alot! PS: Per your recommendation, I’ve started Scandal binge watching! Too much fun for a professor!
    Roz

  54. Anne says:

    Made these yesterday. They filled the house with a warm cheesy mouthwatering scent, and they were every bit as scrumptious as I hoped! Will definitely make again. One question- my dough was very, very sticky, and could not make nice logs. The biscotti still turned out fine, should I have added a little flour to make it handle easier? Don’t want them too dry.
    Boyfriend and I could not stop eating them! Especially dunked in our vegetarian chili!

    • joanne says:

      I’m SO SO glad you enjoyed the biscotti!! Truth be told, my dough was a bit sticky also, but I think it prevents the biscotti from being too dry. Mine weren’t so wet that I couldn’t form them into logs, but that might have to do with the humidity or exactly how much flour was used, etc. I think it would be fine to make them on a lightly floured surface next time so that they’re easier to handle but I probably wouldn’t add more flour to the dough itself.

  55. we’re eating soup for the majority of our meals lately, so these would be brilliant!

  56. Betsy says:

    Great recipe–just the perfect thing with tomato soup! My dough wasn’t sticky at all–I didn’t have any trouble shaping the logs. That said, I only added three eggs to the dough mixture and saved the fourth one for brushing the tops. Wasn’t sure if that was correct, but it worked well.
    Thanks for the recipe!

  57. Marianne says:

    Hi, these look awesome, how long would they last??

  58. Tmamabrown says:

    These are FANTASTIC! I gave them as Christmas gifts last year. Seriously, the best soup dunker ever!

  59. Maria Reese says:

    I just made them…….very easy. These are wonderful……highly recommend you make them.

  60. Georgianne says:

    I am making these tomorrow hopefully!
    Each log is 12” long by how wide? 2 or 3”?.

    I want to surprise my neighbor with celery soup and these biscotti’s. I hope it will go good together.

    • joanne says:

      They should be 2 inches wide.

      • Georgianne says:

        Thank you.
        I hope I did the right thing…I measured the cheese before shredding.. was I right? I was also concerned about putting the remaining pepper on top of biscotti because there was still quite a bit after the tablespoon in the recipe. I didn’t use all the pepper. I hope it still turns out good.

        Thank you for your quick response.

        • joanne says:

          Yes, you are correct that the weight is pre-grating. Let me know how they turned out!

          • Georgianne says:

            They turned out wonderful. It was wonderful with my tomato/ basil bisque soup! I will always make them. Let me know about the pepper. Seemed like a lot of pepper to put on top after the tablespoon in the recipe. Maybe it was too fine.

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