Biscotti di Prato with anise

 

I was craving a dunking cookie for my coffee that wasn't complicated, and also craving anise, so I added anise seed to my favorite biscotti recipe.  This makes a very hard, crunchy cookie that holds up well to a hot beverage.  I got a somewhat different result this time, but perhaps I wandered too far from the recipe.  To add a little more nutrition, I substituted some pea protein powder, which probably would have been okay if my liquid ratio had been correct.  But pea powder sucks up a lot of moisture, and there isn't a lot to spare in this recipe--- just the eggs--- so I figured it couldn't be a 1:1 ratio.  I started with 1:1 with just 1/3 cup, but then took out a couple spoonfuls of wheat flour and added another spoonful of pea protein.  When I mix the lot together, it was exceedingly dry, so I added a little water and then it was too wet, so I added another spoonful of pea protein.  It was still a sticky, wet mess, but I didn't want to fool with it any longer.  I just scooped it onto the baking sheet, where it oozed into flat oblongs, and hoped for the best.

I don't know what acid the baking soda is working with, but it worked.  The loaves rose nicely and the cookies turned out well, albeit a little flatter than usual.  The anise wasn't very detectable---just a faint essence every now and then.

Here's what I used to make about 3½ dozen cookies.  Changes are in italics and strikeout:

3/4 cup whole almonds
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1⅔ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup pea protein powder
7/8 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon anise seed
dash 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Place nuts in a shallow pan and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool. In a small bowl beat eggs, vanilla and almond extract with a wire whisk. In mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, anise seed, and salt. Add egg mixture and mix until blended--about 1 minute. Cut nuts into halves or thirds and mix in. Divide dough in half. On a greased and floured baking sheet, pat out dough into two logs about 1/2 inch thick, 1½ inches wide, and 12 inches long, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake in the middle of a preheated 300F oven for 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer from the baking sheet to a rack. Let cool 5 minutes. Place on a cutting board. With a serrated knife slice diagonally at a 45-degree angle about 1/2 inch thick. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet (they all fit if you place them bottom to bottom) and return to a 275F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until toasted, turning them over once to dry the other side. Store in a tightly covered container.

I cheated and used dry roasted almonds instead of toasting my own....  Don't.  You could tell they soaked up a little of the batter moisture and weren't fully crisp. Otherwise, they were just what I needed.

Conclusion:  A great staple, but I'd like to figure out something to make them a little more hearty, perhaps with buckwheat flour, or rye.

Recipe:  Biscotti di Prato from Biscotti by Lou Seibert Pappas