Rainy Day Baking

Even though in the morning I need my coffee black, strong, and dark roasted, in the afternoon I love a good cup of cappuccino with a bit of a something on the side. So what better than biscotti, also known as cantuccini, a twice-baked hard cookie originating from Italy. They are easy to make at home, and hold in cookie box as long as you have them. Great to have at hand when friends pop in for a cup of coffee, or with coffee and cognac after a festive meal.

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The ingredients:
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 eggs
1/8 cup liquor
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 cup of nuts
I like to use Cognac and almonds with in this recipe, but of course other options are plentiful.
To keep everything organized and make things go smoothly once I start, I gather everything I'll need together, including all the tools.

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I mix all the dry ingredients, and all the liquids, until I fold them all together and add the nuts.
I like to use the almonds with skin on, because of the contrast it gives in the final product.

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The dough is sticky, so with generously floured hands I form two logs into the baking pan. Before I set them in the oven, I brush the excess flour off with pastry brush, so it won't burn on top of the log.
I set them in a warm oven for 20 minutes (175 C/350F)

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After 20 minutes, I take them out of the oven, let them cool off for just a minute, and them cut the logs with bread knife diagonally about an inch/2cm thick. Then set the slices back in the oven on their side for about 15 minutes until golden brown.

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After I take the  pan off the oven, I flip the cookies over and let them cool off. This way both sides of the cookie gets the desired hard surface, and will be lovely to dunk into any my afternoon cappuccino or evening tea. Enjoy!

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