Italian Biscotti

The Biscotti is a twice-baked cookie, which means you bake it, cut it, and bake it again! This leaves the cookie very hard and dry and easier to store.  Although a hard, dry cookie may not sound too appealing, the Italian Biscotti is delicious! It is especially great when paired with a cup of coffee or tea.  There are several different variations of the Biscotti that have since stemmed off of the original recipe, but no matter what you decide to add to the cookie, just have fun and enjoy! 

Italian Biscotti 

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

-3 eggs plus 1 egg white for glaze

-1 cup sugar plus extra for sprinkling 

-1 1/2 teaspoons anise extract

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

-3 cups flour

-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 cup dried cranberries
-1 cup slivered almonds
Optional: Pistachios can be used as well in place or with almonds.  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and flour a baking sheet. 

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and set bowl aside. In another bowl, blend together the butter, sugar, eggs, anise, and vanilla.  Once blended, slowly mix in the flour and baking powder mixture.  

When the batter is well combined, add any fillings you like.  I usually just use almonds and cranberries, or pistachios and cranberries.  The pistachios and cranberries look especially festive for the holidays.  Chocolate chips and white chocolate chips can also be used.  

Once ready, place the batter on your pan and form a log about the length of the pan and 1.5 - 3 inches wide.  Beat an egg white until just frothy, and using a pastry brush, brush over the entire log.  Sprinkle a little sugar on top. 

Bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until the entire log is a light golden brown.  The edges will cook faster than the middle so I usually try to rotate the pan halfway through.  If only the edges are brown than that means the middle is still very doughy, so be careful not to take it out too early. 

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes.  Using a large, sharp, knife, cut half inch slices out of the log.  Once cut, you can keep the cookies as they are (a softer cookie) or bake them again to get the more traditional hard texture.  If baking again, return the cookies to the oven cut side up, and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes.  

Serve as a dessert to accompany dinner, enjoy as an afternoon snack, or dunk in a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast.  No matter how you eat it, just enjoy! 

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