Emma's Biscotti
Every once in a while, I can see in myself reflections of my grandparents, and sometimes even my great-grandparents. It almost always happens while I'm in the kitchen. Today, with these biscotti baking in the oven and the smell of anise drifting through my apartment, I could see very clearly a picture of my great-grandmother – Emma – in the same place.
This recipe I'm sharing today is Emma's recipe. I was lucky enough, even if I didn't know it in my young age, to be able to meet two of my great-grandmothers: Filomena, one of my dad's grandmothers (his paternal), and Emma, one of my mom's grandmothers (her maternal). Both of them were Italian, so I called them both Nonna. I was still very young when Emma died, so I don't really have memories of her, but I've heard so many stories that I feel that I do, to some extent, know her. I know for sure that her biscotti recipe lives on.
Biscotti are probably the first thing most people think of when they picture Italian cookies. They're highly underrated, thanks to the store-bought kind that can be a bit dry (but full disclosure, I even like those – you just have to dunk them in a cup of coffee). When homemade, though, biscotti can be downright magical. You don't end up with a dry, hard cookie, but rather a soft cookie that's just been toasted a bit on the outside. They're light and subtle in flavor, which in my opinion makes them really versatile.
Traditionally, biscotti are made with anise extract, but you could try any number of flavors (and even flavor combinations) with them. Instead of anise, you could just as easily do almond or vanilla extract. If you want to go farther off the Italian map, you could add some orange zest and dried cranberries instead, or even some dried cherries and white chocolate. Personally, I will always take the opportunity to do any baking with anise, because I love how it makes my kitchen smell. There's nothing better!
EMMA'S BISCOTTI
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes total
Ingredients
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 t anise extract
2 c flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 c crushed walnuts (optional)
Optional toppings:
melted dark chocolate morsels
powdered sugar
Directions
Prepare a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Preheat your oven to 325 F.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and eggs. Mix in your anise extract.
In a medium bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt), and stir these into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Mix in walnuts if you'd like, or even sliced almonds if you prefer those over walnuts.
On the cookie sheet, form the dough into two loaves, about 2 or 3 inches in width. Try to keep them both a uniform size. Bake the loaves for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Cool completely, then slice each loaf into 1/2-inch slices. Lie these slices down so they're flat on the cookie sheet, then put them back in the oven for about 10 minutes. Then, flip each biscotti, and put back in the oven for 5 more minutes to make sure both sides are toasted.
Let cool, then you can either dip one end in melted chocolate, or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Or go crazy and do both!
Makes about 34 cookies.
Happy Eating,
Natalie