Sicilian Orange Nut Biscotti Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently until they color slightly and become fragrant, 3 or 4 minutes.
• Combine the sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor; pulse to blend. Add the eggs, vanilla, and zest and process until the mixture forms a dough ball; if necessary, add a tablespoon or two of milk. Add the toasted nuts and pulse a few times; you don't want to pulverize the nuts, just chop them lightly (and it's okay if some remain whole) and integrate them into the dough.
• Butter 2 baking sheets and dust them with flour; invert the sheets and tap them to remove excess flour. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 2-inch-wide log. Place each log onto one of the baking sheets.
• Bake until the loaves are golden and beginning to crack on top, about 30 minutes; remove the logs from the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 250°F. When the loaves are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to cut each on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Put the slices on the sheets, return to the oven, and leave them there until they dry out, 15 to 20 minutes, turning once. Cool on wire racks.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the orange zest and juice, oil, almond extract and vanilla extract, beating until blended. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the egg mixture, beating well. Fold in the almonds by hand. Remove the dough to plastic wrap, wrap and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the dough in half. Spray your hands lightly with nonstick cooking spray and shape each portion into a 5-by-8-inch log on the baking sheet. Bake until firm, about 25 minutes. Cool the logs on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Using a serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Return the biscotti to the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake for 15 more minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine 1-1/4 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 t. baking soda and a pinch of salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together 2 medium eggs, 2 T. orange peel (or 1/2 t. orange oil), 1/2 t real vanilla and 1/2 t. anise seed. Stir this mixture into dry ingredients. Add 1 c. toasted, chopped hazelnuts and mix well. Divide dough in halves or thirds. Shape into logs on a well-floured surface. Transfer to a baking sheet that is lined with parchment or sprayed with Pam. Bake in a 300 deg. preheated oven for 20 minutes. Logs should be firm and very lightly browned. Cool at least 5 minutes, cut into 3/4" diagonal slices and return to oven, baking an additional 15 minutes. Cool on rack.