Make Bearfort’s Biscotti.
Basic anise cookies are very simple to make. They always seem best after they get old as they get very crunchy and are great for dipping in your favorite hot beverage. Feel free to vary the recipe by adding nuts, cocoa or just about anything else.
Start out with 2 1/2 pounds of flour in a bowl. Add to this three fingers of baking powder and two fingers of baking soda, and two fingers of salt.
In a separate bowl, cream till fluffy, 1 1/2 pounds sugar, 6 eggs, one stick of butter and a good dribble or two of vanilla and one cup of milk.
To the above creamed mix add a good palm of olive oil a drop or two of anise oil, and zest of one lemon – mix well.
To this, fold in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) slowly until blended.
Remove from bowl onto floured work surface and knead till soft and pliable. The dough at first will be very sticky but you will see that after a while of kneading it will become more workable and similar to that of bread dough. As you are working it sprinkle a little flour at a time and blend in.
Let rest.
Preheat oven to 350.
Cut the main loaf into smaller loaves and roll them into long ‘snakes’ about 2 inches in diameter – they will expand in the oven. You should end up with about 6 to 8 loaves.
Bake a couple at a time in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately upon removing from the oven, using a bread knife, cut the loaf on a bias into 1 inch cookies and let cool.
I dipped these in melted milk chocolate and then rolled them in ground hazel nuts but feel free to experiment.
They are perfect with a cup of good strong coffee or hot cocoa.
