ANISETTE TOAST (ITALIAN BISCOTTI)

ANISETTE TOAST (ITALIAN BISCOTTI) image

Number Of Ingredients 11

3/4 cup oil
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 Tbl. vanilla or almond extract
1/4 cup Anise oil or extract, or Anisette liqueur
4 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
4 cups flour
3/4 cup chopped, toasted nuts (such as almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, etc)
1-1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chocolate of choice
1 Tbl. shortening

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a deep (about 1-2 inch deep) cookie sheet (such as a jelly roll pan). Mix the oil and sugar in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, vanilla, and Anisette. Add this to the sugar/oil mixture. Then add the baking powder and salt to the sugar/oil/egg mixture. Mix well. Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the sugar/oil/egg mixture into the flour and mix till well combined. Add in the nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth it out. Bake at 350ºF until light brown on top and firm in the center - about 35 minutes. Once baked, cut into long, narrow slices and toast, spread out on the cookie sheet, on all sides in a 300ºF oven until crunchy (toasting time may be vary between 10-20 minutes, depending on how moist the cookies are). Be careful not to burn them. For a chocolate dipped Biscotti, melt semi-sweet chocolate and shortening over a double boiler, and dip the cooled cookies on one side into the chocolate. Place on wax paper and allow chocolate to set.