Almond Biscotti

2-1/4 cups flour
3/4 cups superfine sugar
1-1/2 teasp baking powder
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
2/3 cup chopped almonds
1 egg white plus 2 tablespoons milk for glazing


preheat oven to 425-deg. Grease and flour a baking sheet.

Mix first 6 ingredients, blending until smooth. Knead almonds into mixture until evenly distributed.

Place dough on baking sheet and flatten out by hand. You want it no more than 1/2" in thickness.

Brush with egg-milk glaze and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

Brush with glaze again and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until just golden.

Brush with glaze again. Cool until just warm to the touch.

Slice in 1 inch slices. Put slices back on baking sheet, no edges touching, and bake for 5 minutes more. Cool before serving.

notes:
it seems that if you don't have any almonds in it the dough dosn't sticking together, so add just a bit of water. The dough is usually very dry, but I guess having the almonds in helps it stick together. Consider adding almond extract for more almondy flavor.

I took about 8 cubes of "Baker's" semisweet chocolate and melted them in a saucepan on low heat, then dipped the biscotti slices in them and put them in the refridgerator overnight.

Tastes really good dipped in hot chocolate or in red wine.


Excerpted from Espresso: From Bean to Cup, by Nick Jurich