Retrogrape Recipes: Tutti Frutti Biscotti

Retrogrape is a column by Padmavathy Bindingnavale, that uses provision store staples (think custard powder, fruit cocktail cans, tutti fruiti) to put together easy but delicious recipes that will resonate with homecooks across generations. We promise that you wont have to spend more than INR 200 to make a generous portion that serves up to 4 people.  We are going a step back to revive foods that delight.

I hate tutti frutti with a passion. As a child, I would pick it out of cakes, biscuits, and ice cream with great gusto. The fact that it was so ubiquitous just added to my frustration — why was it in everything?! You might be wondering why I had such disdain for candied fruit. I guess I’d always imagined that fruit cakes would taste amazing (thanks a lot, Enid Blyton). So every time I would bite into tutti frutti-studded sponge, I was willing to have my mind changed, my horizons broadened, and be proven wrong. And each time, I was reminded that Enid was probably not talking about the kind of fruit cakes you get at Iyengar Bakery.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good potato bun or honey cake from Iyengar Bakery. But when you read about scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam, tutti frutti cake just doesn’t cut it. Cut to today, as I stroll past bakery shelves (read: scroll through a food delivery app), I barely see tutti frutti-anything. While I hate to admit it, I feel a bit nostalgic for those fluorescent cubes. So, what better unfashionable ingredient to feature in this edition of Retrogrape?

Traditionally, tutti frutti (Italian for ‘all fruits’) is a hodge podge of candied and/or dried fruit, and varies greatly depending on which part of the world you’re in. It can even refer to a dish — mixed fruit out of a tin, or stewed dried fruit. From what I can tell, tutti frutti is more of a loose theme than an ingredient. In India, tutti frutti is the generic name for candied, coloured, and artificially flavoured green papaya. Why papaya? Probably availability. Or more likely, a punishment meted out by the pastry gods on an entire generation of Indian millennials. I digress… 

To breathe some fresh life into tutti frutti, I decided to throw caution to the wind and really make it the star of the dish. After a lot of unnecessary mulling over pannettone (which, let’s be real, is a lot of work), I settled for tutti frutti biscotti (yes, I 100% chose it for the rhyme). As a bonus double feature, I decided to dunk the biscotti into compound chocolate for some extra cringe value. And since you’re reading this piece, you’ve probably gathered that it was a pretty resounding success. Chewy, crunchy, toasty, chocolate-y — what’s not to love?

So, whether you love or hate tutti frutti, I promise that this biscotti will make for a fun Sunday baking project. And coming in at just under Rs. 200 for 25 biscotti, you really can’t be mad at it. 

I’d tell you how you can store them, but they sort of disappeared within an hour of baking… by 4 adults who all claim to hate tutti frutti (myself included).

Recipe: Tutti Frutti Biscotti

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups maida
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 2 limes (optional)
¾ cup tutti frutti
1 cup chocolate, chopped (the cheaper, the better!)

Method:
Combine the maida, baking powder, salt in a bowl and mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Grate in some lime zest if you have a few rolling around your kitchen, like I did.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, add the tutti frutti, and combine well with a spatula.

Preheat the oven to 180C, and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Divide the biscotti batter into two, and place on the lined tray.

Moisten your hands with water and smooth the batter to form loaves (don’t skip this step, or you’ll end up with some gnarly looking biscotti!).

Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. You’ll be able to tell it’s done because the top will be dry and the bottom will peel off easily from the parchment.

Remove the loaves from the oven, and allow to cool slightly. Slice the loaves into about 1.5 cm thick biscotti. You can thicker or thinner, but make sure to keep it consistent so your biscotti toast evenly.

Crank up the oven to 200C. Place the biscotti in a single layer on the tray, and return to the oven for 7-10 minutes, flipping in between to both sides become golden brown.

You may have to do this in a few batches depending on the size of your oven. Allow the biscotti to cool completely.

In the meantime, heat a small pot of water until boiling. Place a bowl over the pot (make sure it’s not touching the water), and add the chocolate. Allow to melt and transfer to a mug/cup.

Anoint the cooled biscotti with chocolate by dunking, dipping, sandwiching or spreading – it’s really up to you.

Place the biscotti back onto parchment paper (you can totally reuse the same one you popped into the oven) and allow the chocolate to set.

Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea!

Padma is artisanal cheese in the streets, and curd rice in the sheets. Her interests include afternoon naps, Indie dogs, and anxiety avoidance.

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