Biscotti-baking machine (yours truly)

Super easy biscotti recipe.  This one was originally adapted from Mark Bitten, as well as a New York Times article.  Very easy to make, and after 3 batches, clearly also pretty tough to mess up.  

I highly recommend baking a batch for a) your doormen and b) your bosses, especially if you bring them in on the day you have your yearly review.  Talk about good timing.  The comment elicited from each was something along the lines of "Oh, now you can get married!" or "Wow, you'll make a great wife."  Needless to say, they went quickly.

Don't forget to wear your apron while baking :)

Toasted Almond & Chocolate Chip Biscotti

TOTAL TIME

1 hour

INGREDIENTS     

1 cup whole blanched almonds (toasted)

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 1/4 cups flour, plus flour for work surface
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon anise seed

PREPARATION

1.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet, place in the oven and toast for about 15 minutes.  (Or you throw them in a frying pan and toast on the stove).

2.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, baking soda and anise seed together and set aside.  (I've yet to be convinced you need to sift the dry ingredients... probably because I do not have a sifter).

3.

Cream butter and sugar with a whisk. (Yeah, strong arms!  Note I do not have a mixer either. Clearly they didn't in the old days and somehow managed). Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add almond extract, and beat the sugar mixture into the remaining eggs until blended. Stir in the flour mixture (slowly) to form a soft dough.  (Yes, by hand)

4.

When the almonds are toasted, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a bowl. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

5.

Divide dough in half and place one portion on well-floured work surface. (Okay, to be honest, I keep the dough I'm working with in the mixing bowl, but my hands are well floured.  I don't want flour-y counters!)  With floured hands, roll into a cylinder and scatter half of the almonds and chocolate chips on the dough.  Work them in gently by stretching the dough and folding in half until toppings are evenly distributed.  Roll dough into cylinder about 2 inches in diameter and 12 to 15 inches long. (Or as long as your baking sheet!  A word of note if you have to improvise and make a snaky-shaped biscotti log... slicing them on the diagonal becomes increasingly more difficult, but I'm sure you can get creative.  You can also squish out to make the log fatter instead of longer).  Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Dust with flour. (For that just-baked-from-an-Italian-bakery-look).

6. Place in the oven and bake about 30 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch (and ideally, when the top begins to go a little Grand Canyon and form a pretty little crevice).  

7. Lower oven temperature to 275 degrees and let biscotti logs cool about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and cut on an angle into slices one-half-inch thick. (One great idea is to cut the really tiny little slices off the end of the loaves to maintain the "aesthetic integrity of the entire batch.  Besides, who likes to eat the little crusty biscotti heels?  That's right!  You do!)  Return the slices to the baking sheet, and return them to the oven. Bake another 10 minutes on each side, until they are crisp and dry. Allow to cool completely before storing or serving.

YIELD 60 biscotti (in theory... but let's be honest, it'll make as many pieces as you cut. Make sure to factor in the little tiny heel pieces- sacrificed to your belly for the sake of making the entire batch pretty and non-heely