How was your weekend? I worked a lot, got Christmas songs stuck in my head, watched House of Games, and made biscotti, which despite starting off as the stickiest dough ever turned out to be pretty amazing. I think this biscotti tastes great as is, but I'm also sharing a quick maple glaze for those of you wanting a sweeter version. (Alternatively, you could make a lemon glaze instead. Or dip them in chocolate!)
Almond Biscotti with Maple Glaze (makes 1 dozen)
adapted from All Recipes
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 tsp orange zest
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp milk
Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, almonds, and orange zest. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well with a spoon (or your hands). Dump the dough onto a baking sheet (optionally lined with parchment paper). The dough will be very, very sticky. Form it into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cool slightly, then slice into 1/2 inch wide pieces. Set the biscotti back onto the baking sheet, laying them on their sides. Bake for 10 to 20 more minutes, turning over halfway through. Finished cookies should be hard & crunchy. For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk. Mix well. Add more milk if it's too thick to easily pour. Drizzle over the cookies and let dry. Serve with hot coffee or tea.
