Biscotti

ciao tutti! it's high time i join this here food porn partay, so i give you my first post: biscotti. perfect on a snow day, or let's be real, any day. there are many more exciting recipes out there than this one, but this is a classic Italian version, and a super top secret (until now...) fam recipe that i share with you adoring public. so use it carefully. biscotti are meant to be enjoyed with a hot beverage and dunked liberally... because gnawing on a hard biscotti da solo is well, not very Italian, ie, not very fun. i suggest coffee-- a shot of espresso, or a tasty cappuccino with your biscotti is a super fantastic way to start ones day. later in the evening they are equally good with a cup of tea, or hell, a hot toddy if you're feeling naughty.

auditory pairing: manu chao - me gustas tu



Biscotti di Nonna (grandma's biscotti)

3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. toasted chopped hazelnuts (i usually use almonds, as that's what i have on hand. you can also use pistachios...)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) melted butter
1/2 tsp. each pure lemon and anise extract ( or one full tsp. of either)

- preheat oven to 350 and grease large baking sheet.

- in medium bowl combine flour, nuts (grind those betches in a food processor), baking soda and salt

- in large bowl beat eggs, sugar, butter and extracts, about 5 min. or until very well blended

- stir in flour a bit at a time until fully incorporated

-beware that this yields an extremely tough and sticky dough. dunk hands in flour and knead dough together in bowl, separate dough into two portions

- shape dough into two slightly flattened logs and place a few inches apart on baking sheet. the longer they are, the tinier your biscotti, the wider the log, the bigger the biscotti. personally i think wider and bigger = better... ;-)

- bake for 30 min. till firm and light brown

-transfer rolls with spatula to cutting board. you may want to wait a minute before cutting into these bad boys, but i rarely do

- using a sharp knife, cut on the diagonal into 3/4 inch slices. place slices cut side down on baking sheet. bake another 15 minutes, then turn over and bake on other side an additional 15 minutes. they should be a toasty golden color and quite hard

- let cool completely and you are ready for biscotti bliss. these things keep practically forever in an airtight container (exposed to air, they soften up a bit. and we like these janks to be hard! teehee)