Enjoy the Great British Bake Off with a biscotti!

The nation’s favourite baking show draws to a close tonight. Each week we’ve watched with rumbling tummies and gaping mouths as the Great British Bake Off contestants create delectable goodies containing enough fat and sugar to supply Willy Wonka for a year. If, like us, you want to enjoy the final tonight with a plate of something sweet and delicious but prefer not to exceed your Healthy Food Guide boundaries (which are working very nicely, thank you), be your own star baker and whip up a batch of GBBO 2012 winner John Whaite’s pistachio and rosemary biscotti.

Biscotti are twice-baked biscuits, perfect for dunking in your tea or coffee. They contain no fat and are lower in sugar than other cakes and biscuits. ‘So tell us the recipe!’ we hear you roar, as these are right up HFG’s street.

Pistachio and rosemary biscotti

Makes 18-20

·       125g plain flour

·       75g caster sugar

·       ½ tsp baking powder

·       Zest 1 large orange

·       50g dried apricots, roughly chopped

·       80g pistachio kernels, roughly chopped

·       1 rosemary sprig, finely chopped

·       1 egg

·       1tbsp milk

1.     Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C/gas 4.

2.     Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, apricots, pistachios and rosemary in a mixing bowl and stir together so that everything is evenly dispersed.

3.     Beat the egg with the milk using a whisk, and pour this into the bowl.

4.     Bring everything together into a dough, using your hands. Grab the ingredients and squeeze them together. Then, when the mixture forms a rough dough, knead it gently for a minute.

5.     Roll the dough into a long fat sausage (about 23cm long), then put it on the baking sheet.

6.     Bake for 25 min or until light golden-brown. Turn the oven down to 130°C/110°C/gas ½.

7.     Using a sharp serrated knife, slice into 1cm-thick pieces.

8.     Put these slices back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 15 min.

9.     Allow to cool completely before eating

Per biscotti (based on making 18)

78kcal

2.2g protein

2.9g fat

0.5g saturates

11.4g carbs

6g sugar

0.8g fibre

0.1g salt

22mg calcium

0.5mg iron

LOW CAL

LOW SALT

VEG

Great British Bake Off winner and chef John Whaite is encouraging the nation to cook up a storm with simple recipes like this, joining forces with Currys & PC World, where you can get all the equipment you need to get baking. Visit www.currys.co.uk/baking