Almond biscotti with variations

30 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup Sugar
½ cup Sweet butter; melted
3 tablespoons Brandy
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Almond extract
1 cup Unsalted almonds; chopped
3 Eggs
2½ cup Flour
½ tablespoon Baking powder
¼ teaspoon Salt

Directions

From: waring@... (Sam Waring) (COLLECTION) Date: 12 Apr 1994 15:17:00 -0400 Preheat oven to 350~. Mix sugar with butter, brandy, vanilla, almond extract, nuts and eggs. Mix well.

Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Form into a long loaf (or loaves), place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until firm and softly cakelike. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

When cool enough to handle, slice into ½ inch diagonal slices and return to cookie sheet. Bake for 15-25 miutes, turning once, until both sides are brown-flecked and toasted. Cool thoroughly and store in an airtight jar.

Makes 2-3 dozen.

Variation 1 (Mandlebrot): increase sugar to 1-¼ cups. Diced dried apricots may by added.

Variation 2: for a clasic anise-flavored biscotto, substitute Pernod, Ouzo or Anisette for the brandy and omit the almond extract. Several tablespoons of anise seeds may be added for additional oomph.

Variation 3 (Hazelnut biscotti): use hazelnuts in place of almonds. A hazelnut liqueur may be used instead of brandy. Omit the almond extract.

Variation 4 (Mediterranean biscotti): use rosewater instead of brandy.

Substitute unsalted pistachio nuts for the almonds, and add ¼ - ½ cup diced figs to the dough.

Variation 5 (Ginger-flavored biscotti): to the basic dough, add 1 Tbsp powdered ginger, a generous dash of cloves and cinnamon, 1 or 2 Tbsp of candied ginger and ¼ cup raisins, if desired. Omit the almond extract.

Variation 6 (Paximatha): this Greek rusk dates back to the 5th century, virtually unchanged. Substiture ½ to ¾ cup toasted sesame seeds for the almonds. Omit the almond extact and flavor the dough with 1 tsp cinnamon and

½ tsp cloves.

Variation 7 (Fekkas): a Moroccon twice-baked cookie. Substitute orange flower water for the brandy.

Variation 8; Pine nuts may be used instead of almonds, though the richness may be less desirable than the crunch of the toasted almonds. Candied fruits, too, may be added, ¼ to ½ cup assorted fruits blended into the dough before baking.

Variation 9 (Chocolate Dipped): melt ½ pound semi-sweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just simmering water. If it "seizes" or "tightens", add 2 Tbsp of unsalted buter and it should smooth out again.

Dip only one side of each cookie (the chocolate won't seal in the moisture that way).

From: shelley.rodgers@... (Shelley Rodgers) REC.FOOD.RECIPES ARCHIVES

/COOKIES

From rec.food.cooking archives. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, .

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