Almond & Anise Biscotti!!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Ever since I had biscotti in an Italian restaurant with a super strong coffee I have become a big fan of biscottis. The difference between the usual cookies and the biscottis is that u bake the latter twice. Also, the biscottis are very crispy just like any other cookie but it sure is not dense and heavy. The "airy" look of them makes it irresistible. You guys might actually be able to understand the meaning of "airy" if u have had biscottis before or baked them. Anyhow... these evening treats are perfect with tea/coffee or to just munch on as it is :-)

There are numerous variations and types of biscottis and I started off with a basic spiced biscotti. The anise adds a great aroma and flavor and the nuts do add up to the taste. The recipe is fool proof and these measures yield about 2 dozens of yummy biscottis. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour - 2 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Butter - 1/2 cup (at room temperature)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Eggs - 2 (at room temperature)
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Star Anise - 1 tsp grounded
Almonds - 1 cup shredded

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar till the sugar is almost dissolved and the mixture turns pale and creamy.
3. Next add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract and beat well. The mixture should become fluffy, creamy and look almost white. Sure takes a few minutes. People without mixers have to bear the hand pain. I used a hand whisk and thought I burnt the calories that I was gonna gain from the biscottis ahead :-)
4. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking powder well so that they are mixed evenly. Then add this flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk. Keep mixing till all of it is well incorporated.
5. Finally add the star anise powder and the chopped almonds and mix thoroughly.
6. Now roll out the dough in the shape of a log and place it on the baking sheet and pop it in the oven.
7. Bake for about 25-30 minutes till the outer layer turns golden brown. Now, remove the sheet and let the log cool.
8. Once cooled, cut the log into half inch thick slices and place them back in the baking sheet and bake for around 10-15 minutes. After which, you turn over the sides and again bake for 10-15 minutes. This makes the biscottis evenly crispy.

By now the house will be filled with the heavenly smell of the biscottis. You can take them off the oven and without waiting for it to cool down can enjoy like I did!!!! Store in an air-tight container and enjoy for a few more days ( in my case just 1 extra day :-) )