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BISCOTTI

I was searching for a light anise biscotti recipe and found one that looked easy enough, even though you didn't make logs like I normally do but put the batter in a 9x11 pan and spread it out. Ok.. I'll give that a try. They had no butter or oil and were as hard as rocks, break your teeth hard but the flavor was there. So I set out to perfect the recipe and here it goes. Easy and delicious. 4 Eggs and 1 and 1/3 cup sugar,and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Beat together in a bowl with a spoon. Add 2 cups flour, 1 t. baking powder, 2 heaping teaspoons of anise seeds or extract and 1/2 cup of ground almonds or walnuts. If you don't like anise, then add vanilla and some lemon rind or lemon extract. You can skip the nuts but I think they add a great texture and flavor. Mix well and pour into the sprayed baking pan. Oven should be preheated at 375. Spread the batter with wet spoon so it covers the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into slices. See my photo for reference. Then with a spatula, pick them up and put them on a cookie sheet to brown. Pop back into oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let the sit in there another 10 min or so till browned and dried. Enjoy with coffee. Let me know how you like them.

Italian Sesame Cookies

These is a family favorite. I found this recipe and tweaked it a bit in that I like to use the mixed sesame seeds that you can find in Arab and specialty markets. I also changed the flavorings a bit. Here is my version.

2 sticks of butter room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 Egg room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of anise extract
2 and 1/2 cups of flour
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of milk or so for dipping Sesame seeds.. at least a half cup or more.

Cream the butter and sugar.
Add the egg and beat well.
Add the vanilla and anise extract ( some anise seeds may be good in these as well)
Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together and add to the wet mixture.
Mix with beater till moistened and together. Then pat dough together.
Form pieces the size of a walnut into a ball and then shape into ovals. Put on baking pan.

You should get 48 nice sized cookies from this recipe. You will need 2 cookie sheets. Put 4 or so of the cookies into a small bowl of milk and then dip and roll into the seeds. Work quickly and shake excess milk off dough as much as possible before dipping. Make sure you have enough seeds to coat well. This is what gives them the great flavor. 2 dozen per cookie sheet. Bake in PREHEATED 350 degree oven. 20 minutes or more if you like them darker like I do. Let cool and then store in a sealed container but these are so good.. I had to stop my nephew from eating them all so I could have some for my cousins when they came over. Enjoy!!!
Theresa