Biscotti Recipe

6 cups cake or all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup anisette
2 cups peeled and toasted whole almonds or hazelnuts

MAKES 48 COOKIES

Notes: If you dont have a baking sheet large enough to hold the two loaves of dough side by side with a little room between them, use two sheets. Position the oven racks in the lower and upper thirdsof the oven before preheating it, and rotate the pans from shelf to shelf and front to back about halfway through baking.

1) Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2)Line a 15 x 11-inch jelly-roll with parchment paper.

3) Stir the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl

4) Beat the butter with a handheld electric mixer until creamy.

5) As you continue beating, add the sugar gradually, until light and fluffy.

6) Beat in the eggs one at the time, beating well after each addition.

7) Stir in the anisette.

8) Pour the dry ingredients and almonds into the bowl, switch to a wooden spoon, and stir until the dough is smooth.

9) Divide the mixture into two equal portions.

10) Shape each into a loaf 12 inches long by 3 inches wide, making the sides and top even and smooth.

11) Place the loaves side by side on the parchment-lined jelly-roll pan, leavingat least 2 inches between them and 1 inch between each loaf and the side of the pan.

12) Bake until loaves are golden and the tops spring back when lightly poked with a finger, about 30 minutes.

13) remove the baking sheet from the oven and reduce the oven temperatures to 300F.

14) Cool the loaves until barely warm but still soft enough to cut, about 30 minutes.

15) Slice the loaves crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide cookies.

16) Lay the cookies on their side and bake until evenly golden brown and very firm, about 10 minutes.

17) Cool completely.

18) Biscotti can be stored in a covered container for up 2 weeks