Aunt Collies Soft Biscotti Recipes

ANISE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Line a baking pan with foil; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, aniseed, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside., In a large bowl, cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Stir in almonds and reserved flour mixture. , Divide dough in half. Shape each into a 12-in. x 2-in. rectangle on the prepared baking pan. Smooth the surface of each rectangle; brush with milk and sprinkle with remaining sugar., Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 300°., Transfer rectangles with foil to a wire racks; cool for 15 minutes. Place rectangles on a cutting board; cut diagonally into 1/2-in. slices. Place slices, cut side down, on baking pans. , Bake 10-12 minutes longer. Turn oven off, leaving cookies in oven to cool with door ajar. Store cookies in airtight containers.

AUNT COLLIE'S SOFT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Cream together the sugar and crisco.
• Add eggs and mix well.
• Add Anise (or lemon) extract, salt, baking powder and milk.
• Add flour 1/2 cup at-a-time and mix together.
• Grease a cookie sheet and, using a large soup spoon, make a line of dough.
• Smooth dough to connect each mound to make one loaf.
• Bake at 350 degrees till lightly browned.
• Approximately 15 minutes.
• Frosting:.
• Mix all ingredients together.
• Frosting should not be thin, nor thick, but an oozing consistency.

SOFT ALMOND BISCOTTI BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with parchment paper, letting ends extend up sides; grease paper., In a large bowl, beat sugars and oil until blended. Beat in eggs, then 3 tablespoons water. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and cinnamon; gradually beat into sugar mixture. Stir in chopped almonds (dough will be sticky)., Press into prepared pan, lightly flouring top as needed. Mix egg yolk and remaining water; brush over dough. Top with sliced almonds, gently pressing into dough. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown., Cool in pan on a wire rack. Lifting with parchment paper, remove from pan. Cut into 24 squares; cut each square two triangles.

AUNT GEN'S BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream together shortening and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add anise extract and vanilla extract, and mix well.
• In a separate bowl, sift together 4 cups of flour, cream of tartar and baking powder. Stir in anise seeds and hazelnuts. Gradually add to shortening mixture, mixing well; dough will be soft and sticky.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Using floured hands, lightly knead the dough, sprinkling with flour as needed until dough is soft but no longer sticky. Pat dough into four loaves a scant 1/2 inch high (they will rise when baked), about 3 inches wide, and 6 to 8 inches long.
• Spray two baking sheets with oil, and place loaves on them. Bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and cut diagonally into slices about 1 inch wide. Place slices cut-side down and return to oven to bake until undersides are light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn cookies and bake again 8 to 10 minutes until cookies are hard and golden brown on both sides.

AUNT VICTORIA'S BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place kernels on a baking sheet, and toast in oven until they smell nutty, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool. Chop finely.
• In bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar, and cream again until fluffy. Beat in eggs until mixture is smooth. Beat in grappa, anise extract and aniseed. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Beat them in just until mixed. Stir in chopped kernels.
• Lower oven temperature to 325. Set an oven rack in upper third of oven. On a lightly floured board, make rolls of dough an inch or so thick and the length of your baking sheet. Set them on the sheet 2 inches apart, and bake on the oven rack until they are set and lightly browned on top, about 25 minutes. Cool rolls on a rack 5 minutes, and slice diagonally 1/2 inch thick.
• Lay slices back on baking sheet, and return to 325-degree oven for 5 minutes to dry them. Turn slices, and dry 5 minutes more. Cool on a rack, and store in a tightly covered container. The flavor improves if cookies are stored a few days.

AUNT DUNETTE'S ITALIAN ANISE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Beat eggs, sugar, and oil. Mix in flour, baking powder, vanilla, and anise. Spread in greased metal ice cube trays or loaf pans. If using loaf pans, only fill 1/3 full. This recipe makes about 3 trays or pans worth.
• Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cut in slices crosswise. Place slices on baking sheet and brown under broiler, then flip slices and brown on other side. Watch the cookies carefully, it is easy to burn them in this step. Normally the best idea is to broil with oven door open a crack and watch as they go.