anise biscotti

 

Biscotti is a cookie that is twice baked in the oven to be especially crunchy for dunking in espresso or a sweet wine, like vin santo.  I've been making this anise biscotti recipe for years and I think it's my favorite biscotti because I love ❤️ the anise flavor.  A sprinkle of sparkling sugar over the top make my anise biscottis festive and maybe even in the Christmas 🎄 cookie category.   Biscottis freeze really well and make great gifts 🎁  A freezer full of biscottis would make me feel more in control of life during this time of Covid and quarantine, what do you think?

Ingredients and Recipe for Anise Biscotti
makes about 4 dozen biscotti

8 ounces or 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon anise extract

2-3 drops anise oil

2 & 1/2 tablespoons aniseed, crushed

3 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2  teaspoon fine sea salt

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Sparkling sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 350F

Line two cookie sheets with parchment.

Stir the crushed aniseed and a few drops of anise oil into the sugar.

In a standing mixer cream the butter until lighter in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the aniseed sugar to the butter and continue beating for 2 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well on low speed after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla and anise extracts.

In a medium size bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and sea salt.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until just blended, the dough should be soft.

Turn the dough out of the bowl and divide in half.

Wet your hands before forming each half of the biscotti dough into a 12" log, placing one on each parchment lined baking sheet.

Lightly brush the logs with egg white and generously sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

Bake for 35 minutes, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom half way through.

Remove the logs to a metal rack and cool for about 10 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 325F

Transfer the logs to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2 " slices, place the slices sideways on the baking sheets.  Return to the oven, bake biscottis for 10 minutes on each side.

Let cool on the pans and store or freeze in ziplock bags.