One-Year Blogiversary and Biscotti

Glamour Shot

Today is BlB's one-year blogiversary! To celebrate, you get biscotti! 

My mom was in town this past weekend and helped me make her famous recipe for almond biscotti (with and without chocolate chips) and one of Giada's recipes for Almond and Lemon Biscotti. I looooved Giada's recipe. The extra crunch of the cornmeal and the subtle lemon flavor were fabulous (Giada's is the biscotti at the top of the picture). My mom's recipe is below.

Almond Biscotti

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1/8 c. – fill half-way with water, then add 1-2 tsp almond extract, fill remainder with vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 c. whole almonds coarsely chopped
¾ c. mini chocolate chips (optional)
1 egg beaten for egg wash

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a stand mixer, mix flour and sugar together. Add eggs and water mixture. Stir in almonds (and chocolate chips). If the dough is really sticky (to the point you can't handle it) add more flour and mix again.

Divide into 4 or 5 portions. Roll on lightly floured surface to form “logs”. Each log should be about 10 inches by ½ inch. Brush egg wash on top of logs with a pastry brush.

Bake on parchment paper-covered cookie sheets until light brown and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let cool a little and then cut on the diagonal. For harder biscotti places pieces on their sides and bake a little longer. For more chewy biscotti do not bake again.