| 4 Tablespoons Butter, Softened | 2 Eggs |
| 3/4 Cup Sugar | 2 1/4 Cup Flour |
| 1 Teaspoon Almond | 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder |
| -Or Vanilla Extract | 1/4 Teaspoon Salt |
Optional Ingredients:
- Lemon or orange zest
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, etc
- Dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, currants, mango), chopped
- Toasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts), chopped
- Chocolate chips
- Shredded coconut
- Crystallized ginger
- Substitute other extracts for vanilla or almond.
- Other creative additions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
With electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add in almond extract, stir to combine. (Optional: add lemon or orange zest.) In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. (Optional: add spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.) Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients; mixing until just combined. Using a wooden spoon, mix in other optional ingredients. Alternatively, knead in other optional ingredients on a lightly floured surface until just evenly distributed throughout the dough. Do not over mix or over knead.
Grease or line with parchment paper two cookie sheets. Divide dough in half and form into a rectangle approximately 2-inches wide by ½-inch tall. Bake until golden brown and dough begins to split on the top; 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and drop temperature to 250 degrees.
When cool enough to handle, cut into ½-inch slices along the diagonal. Lay each slice on its side on cookie sheets and return to oven. Bake 7-10 minutes more, then turn slices over and bake another 7-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
If desired, dip one end of the biscotti in chocolate glaze (4 ounces chocolate, melted; 2 Tablespoons butter, vanilla extract.) and place on wax paper until solidified.
Makes approximately 24 cookies.
2010 Recipe - Bridget McLaughlin - From How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, 2008.
