slices of almonds bring this biscotti recipe to a delicious level. for years, i have used this biscotti recipe taken from a small book titled, biscotti. the cookbook is written by lou pappas, and was published in 1992. the recipes in this small book range from traditional to those containing chocolate and nuts. pappas even includes a section on healthy biscotti, which are mostly fruited nut bars.
the word biscotti can be divided into two, with bis meaning more than one, and cotto meaning cooking in italian. typically these cookies are dry and crisp. these cookies will keep several weeks at room temperature. they can also be frozen, tightly wrapped.
biscotti are traditional italian cookies that are baked twice, giving them an added crunch. this particular recipe makes a cookie that is not hard at all. it is not like what you would find in the local coffee shop, where the cookie must be dunked for awhile in a cup of coffee to even soften a bit. these biscotti are delightful and just have the perfect amount of crunch to be called biscotti.
to make the cookies:
first make the dough in a mixing bowl. cream 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar until very light and fluffy. i usually use room temperature unsalted butter. beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. in a separate mixing bowl, combine 2 cups all purpose flour, with 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until blended.
stir in 3/4 cup of sliced almonds. separate the dough in half and arrange on a sheet pan which has been lightly sprayed with canola oil. form the dough into two long logs about 1/2 inch high and 1 1/2 inches wide and at least 14 inches long or the length of your pan.
bake the logs in a preheated 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. allow the logs to cool a bit to touch, as the next step requires slicing the logs into biscotti cookies. with a serrated knife slice diagonally at a 45 degree angle about 3/8 inches thick. lay the slices flat back on the sheet pan and bake the cookies for a total of ten minutes. i usually bake for 5 minutes and turn the cookies over and bake the other side evenly.
allow the cookies to cool on a rack and then store in a covered container. they are excellent when crushed and served over ice cream or served with warm beverages.
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