Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Biscotti

So it is said that armies travel on their stomachs, and according to history (or at least some history) it was true about almond biscotti and the Roman Empire’s army. When Rome was bent on world domination they gave their soldiers almond biscotti because they would last forever.

This not so delicate cookie has taken its place in most countries as a light snack for dipping in your morning, afternoon and even after you have eaten dinner. Why is that? Is it because you are guaranteed to be able to soak up your favorite beverages. Whether you like coffee, espresso or even a glass of wine (or so I have been told). It’s great with hot chocolate too. So versatile and so many varieties.

I thought that today I would give you the recipe for the original and then once you know the secret of drying out those little babies, you could invent your own flavors. Just imagine your favorite beverage and what flavors would make it better and experiment. Yours could be the next big thing.

Here we go:

Almond Biscotti

Ingredients

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 ½ teaspoons finely shredded orange or lemon peel (optional)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Place eggs and egg yolks in the well and stir into the flour mixture. Add butter and, if desired, orange peel; stir until dough starts to form a ball. Stir in almonds.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; divide into three equal portions. Shape each portion into a 14-inch-long log. Place logs about 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets; flatten logs slightly until about 1-1/2 inches wide. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until firm and light brown. Remove from oven and place cookie sheets on wire racks; cool 15 minutes.
3. Transfer logs to cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut each roll diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake 10 to 15 minutes more or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a wire racks and let cool.  Makes about 84 cookies.

Remember to make life sweet and Enjoy!