Adventure 2: Anise Biscotti

Today's adventure: Anise Biscotti.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 and 1/4 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 cups all-purpose flour

1.5 teaspoon anise extract

1 and1/2 teaspoons anise seed

1 egg yolk

Tools:

baking sheet

 large bowl

Mixer (mixmaster, kitchenaid, etc)

pastry brush

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

 In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. 

Gradually add the vanilla and eggs while mixing. 

Sift together the flour and baking powder; stir into the egg mixture. 

Add the anise extract and anise seed. 

Roll dough out into 2 logs as long as your baking sheet will allow. 

Press down each one to about 3/4 inch in height, and 3 inches wide. 

Brush with egg yolks 

Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. 

Slice on a diagonal slant, slices should be about 3/4 inch wide. 

Place slices back onto the cookie sheet and return to the oven for 10 more minutes, cookies should be dry and lightly toasted.

Adventure:

I didn't have a mixer, so I made these by hand, and the dough was considerably drier and much more crumbly, which made most of the cookies break apart and crumble. My friend Isabelle came over and helped make these. We also might have added a bit too much Anise extract, but it still tasted fine.

All in all, sort of a success.