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Thursday, December 16, 2010

The Great Cookie Exchange

Special thanks to my favorite Reluctant Bitch, Jz for organizing this thing along with the one who strives for peace!  You'll find links to both and others at the bottom of this post!

My Noni's Nona's (grandpa's mom) biscotti recipe!  The not classified version ;-)

3 cups of flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup of shortening (yes crisco)
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs 
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of almonds (chopped or unchopped, but I toast them a little first)
1/2 tsp of dried anise (I ground star anise in an old coffee grinder) 
1/2 tsp salt
Around 1 tbsp of cold water

Cream the shortening and sugar.  Add beaten eggs one at a time, and add vanilla mix other dry ingriedients. I use a stand mixer, but Noni just did it in a big bowl.  

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in fridge at least 30 minutes (the longer the better)

Form into a log about 2.5 inches wide (I divide it into two logs, but Noni's Nona was a badass that never did that) and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, it should feel kinda firm but not hard.

Remove from oven and let cool a little bit, before slicing.  Spread on cookie sheet, and bake again for 10-12 minutes longer.  

When you're done you can dip in chocolate, or keep plain.  Great for gifts and dipping in coffee!  
You can add craisins, raisins, walnuts...whatever you want.  If you want to make chocolate biscotti just replace a half cup of the flour with powdered unsweetened cocoa (like Hershey's or Ghirardelli)

I don't worry about chopping the nuts in advance because when you slice them you cut through the nuts....:-)


Find other cookie recipes at.....




14 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the second recipe I've seen today that called for Anise.

What is the name of this cookie? I think I missed it???

Yours is the 5th or 6th cookie blog I've visited today. I'm getting hungry now...damn that Jz! :p

-H

Anonymous said...

Okay. It's yummy biscotti...'nuff said :-)

ronnie said...

Sounds delicious Mouse. Thanks for sharing.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

mouse said...

Hedone...Ya I just call it Noni's Nona's Biscotti. Or Noni's Biscotti. I think anise is kinda an Italian thing...it's an odd flavor but in those cookies (ditto Italian wedding cookies) they're just yummy...

And ya I needed a kick of (cookie) inspiration and I think Jz supplied the prefect antidote.

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

Ronnie...ah you're so welcome...nothing says christmas than cookies....yay!

Hugs,
mouse

Anonymous said...

I love biscotti. Thanks for the recipe!

Pygar said...

I would post a recipe for cookies except ...

... that being from the UK am not completely sure what cookies are. Over here in the old world we call them biscuits I think. But I have been told recently by a US friend that biscuits means something totally different over there. She is good at making biscuits (ooops - cookies) so she says, but I believe her, not only because you have linked to her cookie recipes.

I recommended to her a recipe for proper English mince pies but she was not impressed.

*sighs*

Mince pies are quite delicious. Do Google for recipes!

xPx

Sara said...

Oh this is a keeper for sure. As my husband is Italian, Biscotti are always welcome, and this recipe looks great! Thanks Mouse!

Walter H. Schulze III said...

Hello Mouse,

this is subservient-husband.

Love how your blog has changed. Glad omega is still benevolently providing you focus.

;-}

-SH

Jz said...

oh, yum!
Next year, we ship...
;-)

Anonymous said...

OMG! Biscotti! You continue to be my idol,,,

Huggs and Merry Christmas :)

greengirl said...

mouse,
I love biscotti - these sound so good. thanks

turiya said...

Oh I've needed a good biscotti recipe (I think you sent one once, but I think I accidentally deleted it... oops). I just hope I can find all the ingredients out here... if not I'll just have to add it to the list of things to get my mom to send me.

Hope you all have a Happy Holiday!

turiya

mouse said...

Tempting sweets...Oh you're welcome!

Pygar Sir..LOL...mince pie? OMG my Nona LOVED that stuff...bleh...about as welcome as a fruit cake ;-P

When I first met Omega he would talk about biscuits and immediately my head would go somewhere else....like a biscuit! A fluffy roll served with dinner. Then he handed me a cookie one day and I said...This isn't a biscuit!

I seriously thought all that time he was talking about crackers or something....I finally figured out that he didn't mean biscuits the way I thought about them but I NEVER thought he meant cookies....

Sara....It's really a great recipe not in the least fussy and they always seem to come out fine...Just use a super sharp knife when cutting them.

Sub-hub....Oh it's nice to see you over here...I've missed you!

Jz....OMG NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! LOL

CD...awww thanks sweetie....

GG....Oh I love a good biscotti too. Noni would NEVER ever buy them in a store. LOL

turiya....you shouldn't have any problem finding the ingredients there...if you can't find star anise, you can use the liquid extract, just add more (quite a bit more, which is why I switched). You could also substitute the anise all together for almond extract and vanilla.

The nuts are an easy swap...but almonds are my favorites!

Hugs,
mouse