Biscotti Isn’t So Hard

I love biscotti.  I learned how to make it several years ago and, although I don’t make it nearly enough, it is much simpler than most people think…In fact..if you can make chocolate chip cookies you can make biscotti.

Once you have a basic recipe down then you can branch out and add things to it like nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, or whatever.

Basic Biscotti

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar, white, brown, or mixed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons orange or lemon or lime or tangerine or grapefruit zest
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
   
2. Cover a large baking sheet with parchement
   
3. Cream the butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended.
   
4. Add vanilla, almond, and citrus zest.
5. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.
   
6. Stir in pecans.
7. Divide dough into two pieces. With damp hands form the dough into two, long loaves.  They should be about 1/2 inch tall and a foot long or so.
8. Place loaves on baking sheet.
   
9. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from the oven.
   
10. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
11. With a serrated knife, cut diagonally into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet.
    
12. Bake for 10 minutes, turning over once. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

This should make a couple of dozen.  They keep really well so I usually don’t count them.  Seved with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate…mmmm…mmmm…good.

image:morguefile