2/3 cup (135
grams) sugar
1/4 teaspoon
salt
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1 1/2
teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups (241
grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
Heat the oven
to 350°F. Lightly grease a biscotti pan or small baking sheet.
In a
medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and baking powder
until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat
in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. Add the flour using the low speed of the
mixer, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.
Scoop the dough
into the prepared pan, shaping it into a rough log and leaving about 3/4-inch
bare around the edges of the pan. The
dough should be mounded in the center.
Bake the
dough for 25 to 30 minutes, until it is golden brown all over. Remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool
in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove from
the pan. Using a spray bottle filled
with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure
to cover the sides as well as the top. Wait
5 minutes before slicing; softening the crust just this little bit will make
slicing the biscotti much easier. Use a serrated knife to cut diagonal
1/2" to 3/4" slices.
Reduce the
oven temperature to 325°F.
Set the
biscotti on edge on a large baking sheet; there's no need to grease the pan. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them
for 25 to 30 minutes, till they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden. They'll still feel a tiny bit moist in the center,
if you break one in half, but they'll continue to dry out as they cool. Remove the biscotti from the oven, and
transfer them to a rack to cool.
Makes about
18 biscotti, depending on size.
From King
Arthur Flour website
Note:
Can add up to 1 1/2
cups nuts, dried fruit or berries, or chocolate chips to the dough, along with
the flour. Adjust the flavoring to suit
the add-in, if desired; reduce the sugar slightly if add-in is sweet.