The original recipe came to Ralph via Lottie Trentadue many years ago, and Ralph omitted whiskey. In 2004, I entered the biscotti I made using this recipe in the Marin County Fair biscotti contest, and won a blue ribbon for Ralph.
Makes about 36 - 42 biscotti
Turn on oven to 350 F.
Cream together in a mixer the following ingredients in the order given:
- 1 - 1/4 C. sugar
- 1 cube butter, softened or melted
- 3 eggs
Add:
- 2 T. anise seeds
- 2 tsp. almond extract
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Sift together:
- 2-1/2 - 3 cups flour (varies depending on the brand, and the humidity)
- 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
- couple pinches of salt
- Add the flour, mix gradually to the creamed ingredients.
Then Add:
- 2 cups nuts, preferably chopped toasted almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts (or a mix). You may need to add them by hand mixing them as the dough is very sticky and stiff at this point.
- Drop the dough by dollops onto a cookie sheet, forming two long rows of dough. Shape with a spoon or your floured hands to even them out and flatten them slightly. The rows should be about 3" wide and almost as long as your cookie sheet, and about 1-1/4 inches deep.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350 F.
- Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and then remove from pan onto a cutting surface. Cool a few minutes more (3-4 minutes) then cut on a diagonal at 3/4" intervals. Turn cut cookies on their sides in a cookie sheet and return to the oven for 7 minutes or longer, depending on how crisp/dry you prefer them, and how thickly you have cut them. You may also put them under the broiler for a few minutes instead if you like them "toasted". Watch them carefully at this point, to avoid burning them.