Basic Biscotti

-Basic Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almonds -- whole, unblanched

1/4 pound butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

-For Orange Biscotti
- Zest from 1 orange 2 tablespoons orange liqueur -- or 1 T orange extrac

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

-For Anise Biscotti
- 2 teaspoons anise seed -- crushed

-For Lemon Biscotti
- Zest from 1 lemon 1 tablespoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Procedures for all recipes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Toast the almonds until golden, then chop by hand into 1/4 inch chunks. *Reduce oven heat to *325* degrees* Cream the butter until light, add the sugar and beat till smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs until the mixture is smooth. Add the (orange, anise, lemon) specific ingredients. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, beat until just mixed. Stir in the almonds. On a floured board, divide the dough in half and roll each half into a long roll about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and about 10 inches long. Set the rolls on a baking sheet at least 3 inches apart, bake in the top third of the oven (*325*) for about 25 minutes, or until they are set and lightly browned on top. Cool the rolls for 5 minutes or so, then slice diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool on a rack, and keep in a tightly covered tin - they keep for months.