ALMOND-ORANGE BISCOTTI

Vegetable shortening & flour, for baking sheet
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. almond extract
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 c. coarsely chopped almonds

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.2. Grease and flour a baking sheet. Shake off excess.
3. In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Make a well in center of mixture.
4. To the well add remaining ingredients. With your hands, work dry mixture with liquids until a dough has formed. Divide the dough in half.
5. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into two flat bottomed cylinders, 1" high, 2 1/2" wide and 8" long. Remove each to the baking sheet.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly colored on top. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
7. Holding a long sharp knife by the handle and tip; cut cylinders diagonally into 3/4" slices. Carefully place slices back on baking sheet, cut sides down; return them to the oven for 15 minutes more and bake until sides are golden and biscotti have dried a bit. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. The biscotti should be somewhat hard and crumbly. Yield: 20 to 24 biscotti.

CHOCOLATE NUT BISCOTTI

1 1/2 c. skinned, toasted hazelnuts or almonds (if using almonds, buy slivered)
1/2 to 1 c. pistachios, shelled
4 c. unsifted flour
1/2 c. miniature semisweet chocolate morsels
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
5 lg. eggs
2 c. sugar
1/3 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. grated orange or lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two large baking sheets. I prefer the insulated kind--keeps it from burning. In food processor, puree 1/2 cup of nuts. (If using hazelnuts, puree until paste forms and set aside; then coarsely chop remaining hazelnuts.) Place remaining 1 cup hazelnuts or almonds--and the pistachios--in bowl along with flour, chocolate, baking powder and cinnamon.2. To make zest, process strips of colored part of orange or lemon along with 1/2 cup of the sugar. Set aside.
3. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar-zest mixture, remaining sugar, melted butter and hazelnut paste or ground almonds. Beat until blended. Stir in flour mixture to form dough. You may need to add a bit of flour if dough is too sticky.
4. Divide dough into quarters, for small cookies, or halves, for wider ones. Drop dough onto baking sheets, smoothing into log shapes using spatula. Pat tops smooth, using floured fingers. I place one log on each sheet, at an angle.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm in center. Bigger logs take longer. Be sure to switch sheets halfway through baking time to ensure even cooking. When done, cool completely on sheets, on wire racks. Carefully remove logs to a cutting board and, using serrated knife, cut on diagonal making 1/2 inch slices. Place these on regular cookie sheets (I use Wilton's aluminum) and bake anywhere from 5 to 12 minutes, or just until crisp and brown on one side. Turn and brown other side 5 to 7 minutes longer, whatever it takes. Cool on wire rack.

Biscotti Recipe

Ingredients:

3 lg. eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1/2 tsp. anise or almond extract
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder


Instructions:

Mix all ingredients. Form into 3 long rolls on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes. Cool slightly, then slice into 3/4 inch diagonal slices. Lay slices on large cookie sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.

Biscotti Recipe

2 sticks butter
2 c. sugar
6 med. eggs/5 lg.
3 tbsp. anise flavor
3 tbsp. sherry

Cream the above.

Sift together: 5 tsp. baking powder 2 tbsp. anise seed 1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Oven 325 degrees.

Cream wet ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in dry ingredients. Mix well - batter will be very stiff. Stir in nuts. Allow to stand overnight in refrigerator.

Form logs (teaspoon full) the width or the length of cookie sheet. Space 2 inches apart. Makes about 12 small logs. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Italian Biscotti

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
3 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped almonds or walnuts


Instructions:

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs (add one at a time and beat well). Add other ingredients to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and flavoring. Turn mixture onto board and knead until smooth. Shape into rolls 1 inch high and 3 inches wide. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into slices. Return to oven, cut sides up, and brown another 10 minutes.

Biscotti Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Stella Doro anise toast
1 pkg. vanilla pudding (not instant)
1 pkg. chocolate pudding (not instant)
1 tsp. rum flavoring
1 (9 oz.) Cool Whip, or whipped cream
Toasted slivered almonds


Instructions:

Dip toast quickly in milk and lay in 9 x 13 pan. Cook puddings separately, adding rum flavoring to vanilla pudding. Pour vanilla pudding over toast, then pour chocolate pudding over vanilla. Chill in refrigerator -- add Cool Whip and nuts before serving. Serves 12.

Chocolate Biscotti

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. sugar
3 tbsp. butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. almonds, coarsely chopped


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch baking pan. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.

In large mixer bowl, beat sugar, butter, eggs and almond extract until creamy. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in almonds. Divide dough in half. Shape into 2 (12 inch) long logs. Flatten slightly. Place in prepared pan.

Bake 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices; return slices to pan, cut sides down, like cookies and bake 20 minutes longer. Cool completely. Yields: 4 dozen.