You asked for it: Pepper adds punch to baked goods

By ANNE LONG
© St. Petersburg Times
published June 12, 2002

According to Webster's New World Dictionary, "pepper is a pungent condiment obtained from the small, dried fruits of an East Indian plant (piper nigrum) of the pepper family.

"Black pepper is ground from the entire fruits, including the fleshy coverings."

Frank Buonemani asked for the recipe for the hard Italian pepper biscuits that he enjoyed when he lived in Brooklyn.

We have a plethora of black pepper recipes.

Mary Tansey shares her pepper biscuits recipe sent to her by Italian friends in Rhode Island. Elizabeth Galante writes that her recipe for hard Italian pretzels "takes a little time, but is worth the effort."

You can substitute fennel or caraway seeds for crushed peppercorns if you prefer.

Biscotti or twice-baked cookies are always popular, and black pepper biscotti is the recipe shared by Mary Lou Smargisso.

Essentials of Italian Cooking, written by the respected Marcella Hazan, is the source of Lynda Hesseltine's recipe for gallette, or salt and pepper biscuits.

For: Frank Buonemani of Clearwater

From: Mary Tansey of Weeki Wachee

Recipe: Pepper Biscuits

Pepper Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 tablespoons shortening
• 2 tablespoons peppermill-ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup milk

Sift flour and baking powder together. Cut in shortening. Add black pepper and mix well. Add milk and mix until ball forms and leaves sides of bowl.

Turn out onto floured board. Knead for 5 minutes and roll with rolling pin to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut in strips and place on ungreased baking sheet. You may shape these differently. Mary likes to make hers into thick nuggets. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Shut off oven when done and leave biscuits in oven for about 5 minutes to crisp.

From: Elizabeth Galante of Spring Hill

Recipe: Hard Italian pretzels

Hard Italian Pretzels

6 eggs

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (Elizabeth uses Wesson oil)
• 6 pinches salt
• 6 tablespoons sugar (optional)
• Crushed peppercorns, fennel or caraway seeds to taste
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, approximately

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, salt, sugar if used, and crushed peppercorns or seeds; mix well. Add flour, 2 cups at a time. Elizabeth notes that she usually uses a tablespoon or two extra. The dough should be smooth. When shaping, you can dust your hands with a little flour.

Boil water in a 6 or 8-quart pot while you are mixing the dough.

When you have the dough shaped into horseshoe or circular designs, drop one or two into the boiling water. The pretzels will rise to the surface in about 3 or 4 minutes. Continue to boil for 10 minutes more. Take out and place on a dish cloth and let dry for 1 hour. Keep turning them over.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place dried pretzels directly on oven rack and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes more or until tan in color. Watch carefully at this point. The recipe makes about six or seven pretzels.

Note: Elizabeth writes that the thickness of the pretzel is up to the cook. She shapes hers in a circle and the thickness is about that of a thumb.

From: Mary Lou Smargisso of Kenneth City

Recipe: Black Pepper Biscotti

Black Pepper Biscotti

• 6 eggs
• 6 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil (Mary Lou uses Wesson)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• About 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup coarsely ground black pepper
• Beaten egg yolk (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the beaten egg yolk; mix well. Pat the dough; do not knead; roll in flour. Divide dough into two parts. Shape into rounded or elongated rolls; place on greased baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg yolk if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cut into slices on an angle. Turn on sides on baking sheet and bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Turn slices over and bake on other side for about 5 to 10 minutes. Cool and store in airtight container. Biscotti keep well for quite a while.

From: Lynda Hesseltine of Citrus Springs

Recipe: Gallette or Salt and Pepper Biscuits from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Italian Cooking

Gallette

• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper (or to taste)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Beat eggs lightly and save 1/2 tablespoon. Pour remainder into a food processor bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix until it is a smooth, compact mass. You can also do this with floured hands. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece to 1/4-inch thickness using a floured rolling pin. Cut into 2-inch rounds, using all dough by rerolling scraps.

Place about 11/2 inches apart on a large cookie sheet that has been greased with soft butter. Brush tops with reserved egg. Bake at 375 degrees in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool on a rack. Tastes best a day later.

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