Vanilla Biscotti

By á-11192

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 to 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups flour
• Coarse white sparkling sugar, for sprinkling on top

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from keyingredient.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Beat in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.

Divide the dough in half, and shape it into two 9-½ inches by 2 inch logs, about ¾ of an inch tall. Straighten the logs, and smooth their tops and sides. Sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired, pressing it in gently.

Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the loaves to cool, which will make them easier to cut.

Turn the oven to 325 degrees. Use a sharp chef’s knife or serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into ½ inch to ¾ inch slices. Or cut the biscotti on the diagonal, for fewer, longer biscotti. As you are slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they’ll topple over during their second bake.

Set the biscotti on edge on the prepared baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, until they fell very dry and are beginning to turn golden. They will still feel a tiny bit moist in the very center, if you break off a piece: but they will continue to dry out as they cool.

Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Store airtight at room temperature; they will stay good for weeks