This anise almond biscotti has been one of my favorites for over thirty years. I adapted this recipe slightly from The Il Fornaio Baking Book, a gift from a dear friend in 1994. I used to be under the impression that “real” biscotti (Italian) aren’t made with butter (or any fat), but I’ve softened on that stance after trying excellent biscotti made with and without butter. For me, a crisp texture, good flavor, and clean lines on the slice are the important characteristics of biscotti.
Anise Biscotti (Anicini)
makes 6–8 dozen small cookies depending on thickness
Ingredients
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached Wheat Montana blue bag
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon aniseeds crush or chop to release more flavor
- 1 cup raw almonds, whole
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon anise liquor Pernod
- additional flour for work surface
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, aniseeds, and almonds and set aside.
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Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer with paddle attachment until pale in color, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each. Add Pernod.
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Add reserved flour mixture on low speed and mix until incorporated.
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On a lightly floured work surface, turn out dough and divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each into about a 10-inch log, approximately 1.5-inches in diameter.
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Line a half-sheet pan (13- by 18-inches) with parchment paper or a Silpat liner. Transfer the dough logs to lay horizontally across the width of the prepared pan spacing them apart from each other (and the pan edges) while fitting all four on the pan.
If you wish, use two pans—you'll need them for the second bake anyway.
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Bake until light golden brown, about 20–25 minutes for my oven. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet(s) for 10 minutes. Leave the oven set to 375°F.
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Transfer logs to a cutting surface—I recommend dedicating a special cutting board 100% to baking so that your baked goods don't pick up any unwanted armoas from wood cutting boards...like onions...eew. Using a sharp knife, cut crosswise on diagonal into ½-inch wide slices. Place cut side down on the sheet pan(s) and return to the oven for the second bake until nicely toasted and edges are golden brown, about 8–10 minutes.
Let cool completely then store at room temperature in a cookie tin or glass jar.
