Makes 24 Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 oz European unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp anise extract
- 1-1 ½ Tbsp culinary lavender, ground with mortar and pestle
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream butter. Add sugar and blend until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in extracts and lavender.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in almonds, then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Blend well.
- Prepare two silicon- or parchment-lined baking sheets with cooking spray. Shape the dough into three 4 x 6-inch rectangles.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly, then slice on the diagonal into ½-inch slices using a serrated knife; this works best when the cookies are still warm.
Note: If you prefer a traditional crunchy biscotti, bake sliced biscotti for another 10-20 minutes at 350° or to desired crunchiness. Remember, they continue to harden as they cool.
Gluten Free: Substitute gluten free all purpose flour and add 1 tsp xanthan gum.
Nut Free: Omit almonds and substitute cocoa nibs.
Grandma Wilma Behling celebrated her 80th birthday with her family at the Harrison House Suites. She shared her recipe with me. I have added culinary lavender to give it a local touch, but the biscotti are perfect just the way Granda Wilma makes them. Gradma Wilma double bakes her biscotti and sometimes spreads butter or melted chocolate on them for a “change of heart.”
