Biscotti

To say I've been preoccupied lately would be an understatement. But, I feel like a new beginning and a new food post is needed! I haven't made anything for a while, basically subsisting on leftovers. I also haven't been eating regularly... but that will change! This is a cookie recipe I have used quite a few times. It's a favorite of my parents, which is saying a lot, because they don't usually like sweets!

Biscotti

1/4 c. olive oil
3/4 c. white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 - 1 cup dried fruit (cranberries, chopped apricots, etc.)
1 - 1 1/2 cup chopped nuts (almond, pecan, pistachio, etc.)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, mix oil and sugar until well blended. Add in vanilla and almond extracts. Beat in eggs. 
3. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder, then stir into liquid mixture. Stir in dried fruit and nuts by hand. 
4. On a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or greased aluminum foil, form two logs*. 
5. Bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. 
6. Remove from oven and cool logs for 10 minutes. Then slice logs into 3/4 inch wide bars. 
7. Place logs on their side, and bake at 275 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, until cookies are dry.

* A note on the "logs"- the first time I made biscotti, I had no idea what "form into logs" meant. Basically, you want to pat the sticky dough into two rectangular prism. I usually form "logs" with the following approximate dimensions: 4 inches wide and 1 inch thick, and length can be variable, whatever fits on your cookie sheet. Another tip when forming logs is to wet your hands with cold water before handling the dough. The dough is very sticky. When the dough starts to stick to your hands, re-dip hands in water. 

I love this biscotti recipe because: 1) there is no butter involved, so it's a healthier cookie but still has great taste, 2) there are lots of different combinations of nuts and fruit and other fillings to experiment with (chocolate chips, lemon zest, Heath bar chunks, etc.), and 3) these cookies keep very well. While cookies are always best fresh out of the oven, these biscotti cookies are really amazing even a few days afterwards. I usually take a couple to school the next day after baking, and they brighten my day up!