Orange Biscotti

By á-44924

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 6 cups all purpose flour (can take out 1/2 c. flour and replace with 1/2 c. cornmeal)
• 1 t. salt
• 2 T. baking powder
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1-2 t. orange extract
• 2 T. orange zest
• 2 T. lemon and lime zest ( or can add a total of 4 T. orange zest)
• 1/2 cup orange liqueur (or part OJ)

Preparation

Step 1

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add liquids. Stir salt, baking powder into flour and add dry into wet slowly to avoid flour "dust". Dough needs to have zest stirred in thoroughly. You might want to blend a tiny bit of the flour into the zest before adding it so it is a little easier to blend well.
Place on Silpat or parchment paper on baking sheet. Use very damp hands to shape the dough into 4 long rolls, leaving room for the logs to spread quite a bit. I use 2 cookie sheets for 4 rolls.
Bake 350° for 30 minutes. It will be a light brown. Cool 5-10 minutes and slice diagonally 1/2 " wide. It's easier of you use a serrated life to avoid breaking or tearing the baked rolls. Place on sides and bake another 10 minutes or so. Place in a warming drawer, If you have one, to dry biscotti for another 3-4 hours, or bake in a VERY low oven for a short time then turn it off and leave biscotti inside.

This is a basic recipe that can be adjusted a lot with changes in favors. Can add different nuts, flavors, white chocolate chips, craisins etc. The important part is the basic flour and butter mixture.
Pistachios are great; white chocolate and craisins are great. Cinnamon is a nice spice to use.
This is a very tender biscotti. It MUST be stored in an air tight tin or a zip lock. If it gets humidity , you can recrisp it in a low oven or a warming drawer. I have used sweet Marsala wine for the liquid in lieu of the orange juice or liqueur. Almond flavoring is great if you make almond biscotti. Use slivered almonds for those. Red craisins and green pistachio are so pretty for Christmas.

It can be frozen for several weeks and after taking out you can dip in white or dark chocolate or drizzle over. Of course there will be "ends" that the cooks gets to eat and no one has to know!!