Almond Biscotti

My parents have been to Italy 3 times. My mom is just in love with the place. She even took an Italian cooking class last fall through the community center. Which is why I decided on biscotti for her Mother's Day gift. Since I've only made biscotti once (Nonni or someone got a jar of dry ingredients for biscotti back when I was in junior high so she, Auntie Vicki, and Auntie Chauch showed me how) I decided on a simple recipe. I ended up also choosing a recipe from one of the magazines I've been typing up.

For those who don't know: biscotti are twice-baked cookies. You make the dough, form it into two logs, and bake the first time. They come out like a soft cookie. Then, you cut the logs into strips and lay the strips on a cookie sheet cut side up and bake them again. The end result is a crunchy cookie. Also, if your dough looks crumbly like this:

don't worry. I think that's how it's supposed to look since I put a handful of dough in my fist and got this:

It's almost like Play-doh. Kneading it in step 3 will help bring it together too.

Almond Biscotti (Betty Crocker/Gold Medal Best Baking Recipes, on shelves until 8/2012, pg. 94)

Ingredients

• 1 cup slivered almonds (I just used the sliced almonds I've had for a while. Seemed to work)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350F. Spread almonds on ungreased shallow pan. Bake 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown; cool (I didn't do this, mainly out of laziness.)
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat sugar, butter, almond extract, vanilla, and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until blended, or mix with wooden spoon. With wooden spoon, stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda until mixed. Stir in toasted almonds.
3. Place dough on lightly floured surface. To knead dough, fold dough toward you. With heels of hands, gently push dough away from you with a short rocking motion. Move dough a quarter turn and repeat 2 to 3 minutes or until dough holds together and almonds are evenly distributed. Divide dough in half. On ungreased cookie sheet, shape each half of dough into 10x3-inch rectangle, rounded edges slightly.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until center is firm to the touch. Cool 15 minutes, remove from cookie sheet to cutting board. Cut each rectangle diagonally crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, using serrated or sharp knife.
5. Place slices, cut sides down, on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake about 15 minutes or until crisp and light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

I think Mom liked them. She may or may not have included in the cupcake text that she also enjoyed a biscotti that morning. Also, I'll let this picture speak for itself: