Give Them Biscotti

Looking for just the right treat to take with you to your next tea and embroidery soiree, as I did today? Or maybe you'd like to whip up a nice treat to serve with coffee--a treat that's sweet but not TOO sweet? Try biscotti. No, not the kind you buy in stores--you could break a tooth on it! Homemade is much, much better, and it's really not difficult!

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon anise flavoring (I like to powder up some anise seeds in the coffee grinder instead)
1 ounce whiskey
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

Cream sugar and shortening well, using a mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla, flour, and baking powder; at this point, mix by hand. Add walnuts, anise, and whiskey.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spoon mixture down centers of two baking sheets.

Dough will be very sticky. Dust tops of each with enough flour to pat "logs" into shape as shown below (but don't add too much flour):

Bake approximately 25 minutes until lightly browned and firm. Slice into 1" pieces and return biscotti to cookie sheets, cut side down. Bake for five minutes. Turn pieces and bake an additional five minutes.

Brew up a pot of coffee or tea to serve with your biscotti. Learn a couple words of Italian. For instance, "mangi!" Won't your friends and family be impressed?