Basic Biscotti

Cherry Pistachio

Many years ago.  Like 12.  Wow, time flies.  I was really into biscotti.  I made a lot of it.  All different flavors.  I met my husband, he shared them with his friends, they loved them.  Everybody loved them.  I collected tons of recipes.  My husband and I dreamed of owning a biscotti shops.  We wanted to call it Bellagio's.  We would start small, delivering to businesses and such.  We went to the Better Business Bureau.  We planned, we schemed.  Until the moment came when we realized that we could not do it out of our home.  Sigh. In NY Sate you need a whole separate kitchen for a business.  The cost was just too great and our desire dwindled upon hearing it.  Sadly Bellagio's was not meant to be.

Biscotti does live on in our family.  My Mom likes to make them and since she makes so many, I figure, I will let her then I can make other things.  So this is her thing now.  These are her biscotti's.

This is her favorite recipe because you can mix things up. She doubles it whenever she makes it and adds different mix ins.

Caramel Pecan

Basic Biscotti
Recipe easily doubled.

1 stick butter (4 ounces), softened
3/4 sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix Ins (if you so desire):
1 cup nuts
1 cup dried fruit or chips

Preheat oven to 325F.

Cream butter with sugar, mix five minutes.  Add in eggs one at a time and then vanilla.  In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt and baking powder.  Add to creamed butter.  Work in the mix ins.

Shape dough into logs and place on parchment paper or a nonstick pan. Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for about ten minutes.  Remove from pan.  With a serrated knife, slice into 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick slices.  Place on cookie sheet again bake for 15 minutes.