Anise Seed Biscotti

Ingredients: 

6 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon Anise Seed

1 cup ground almonds

2 cups flour (or a little more until it's not too sticky to form into a loaf shape)

Almond bark or white chocolate for dipping

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Directions: 

Heat oven to 375*F.

Set chocolate into double boiler to melt.

Cream butter and sugar. Add each additional ingredient (except chocolate), in order, mixing well between each new addition.

Shape dough into 2 9-10 inch logs, flatten into a loaf shape, on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375* for 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove logs to cutting board. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, or until it's cool enough to handle.

Reduce oven temperature to 325*F.

Using a serrated knife, slice crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Carefully transfer each slice back to another parchment lined sheet, cut side down. You can place them close, not touching, they won't spread.

Bake slices for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Too cool quickly, slide parchment off the cookie sheet and onto counter. Once cookies are cool, they can be dipped in chocolate. Once they are dipped, lay them back onto a clean sheet of parchment. You can reuse the parchment, just shake off the crumbs.

Allow to cool before storing. 

After mixing up the dough, I like to divide it into two loaves for easier handling. 

I make a log almost as long as the cookie sheet, then pat it on top to flatten it out a bit. 

It might be 3 inches across. It does puff up while baking. Leave space between them.

Out of the oven after the first baking. 

I move the loaf to the cutting board, with hot mitts on. I only let it cool enough to move it. 

I slice into roughly 1/4 inch slices. It can be a little crumbly, so not TOO thin. 

I tip the slices onto the knife and move them to the cookie sheet again for the second baking. 

Here they are all ready to bake again. I try to give a little space between them so 

the heat and dry them. Sometimes it's a tight fit. Back into the oven they go. 

While the cookies are baking, I melt the almond bark for dipping. Make-shift double boiler. 

Once the cookies start to brown a little, they come out and cool completely. 

Then they get dipped and laid out on parchment paper to dry before packing 

away in an airtight container. 

Space between them so they don't stick together. 

Once they are cool and solid,they can be packaged for 

gift giving or storage. 

A lovely addition to my Christmas cookie ensemble. 

Amaretto Cookie Balls (No-Bake)

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  A nice "adult" addition to the cookie plate!

Makes about 3.5 dozen

2 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers

1 cup ground almonds

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup amaretto

3 Tablespoons honey

Additional powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder for rolling

Directions:

Mix together cookie crumbs, almond meal, powdered sugar and cocoa. Combine amaretto and honey; stir into crumb mixture. Shape into 1-in. balls. Roll in additional confectioners' sugar or cookie crumbs. Store in an airtight container.

Make these ahead to allow the flavors to meld together. Substitute flavored vodka or rum in place of amaretto and ground pecans in place of almonds.

The dough is sticky but very easy to handle.

Arrange sugared balls on parchment paper to dry. Remember, no baking. 

I used my favorite small scoop and they come out nice and round and 

regularly sized. I rolled in white and red sugar to create some variation. 

You can also roll in extra cookie crumbs or cocoa powder.

I let these dry (uncovered) overnight before boxing them up. 

They felt a little too soft to stack before drying overnight. 

Chinese Almond Cookies

 If you like Marzipan, you'll LOVE these cookies! 

These are great for Chinese New Year! 

****** Parchment Paper *****

• 1 1/3 cups almond flour, lightly packed

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

• Pinch of salt

• 2 large eggs, divided (one is beaten for egg wash)

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• Thinly sliced almonds, for decoration

• Recipe makes 5-6 dozen cookies.
  

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• In your mixer, 

  Mix together the butter cubes, almond flour, and salt until mixed well. 
  
• Add  in one of the eggs and the almond extract.  Mix well.
• In a separate bowl, mix together your flour, sugar and baking soda. 
• Slowly add to your mixer, thoroughly incorporating. When the dough is complete, remove from the mixer, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten. Chill the dough at least two hours, overnight is good too. 
• Preheat your oven to 325*F. 
• Roll out balls of dough and flatter to about an inch across. Add an almond slice to the top of each. Brush with egg wash. 
• Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until gently browned on the edges. 
• Cool on the counter or a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  

Start with Almond Flour

Mix together the butter cubes, almond flour, and salt until mixed well. 

Mix in just ONE of the eggs and....

...The almond extract. 

In a separate bowl, mix together your flour, sugar and baking soda. 

Add flour mixture to your butter mixture. Mix until thoroughly homogenous. 

Remove dough from your mixer and wrap in plastic wrap. 

Flatten the dough and chill in the fridge for at least two hours. 

Overnight would be fine, too.

Baking Time:

You know I love my small scoop for making uniform sized cookies. 

Leave space between. 

You can use your hand or a glass with parchment paper to flatten the cookies a bit. 

An inch or so across. Not too thin. 

Decorate the top of each cookie with a nice almond slice. 

Beat the second egg. 

Brush the top of each cookie with a bit of beaten egg. 

This will give the cookies a nice shiny finish when baked. 

Bake at 325* for 13-15 minutes, or until just lightly browned. 

Cool before removing from parchment. 

Very tasty! A special treat for Chinese New Year!