Absolutely Amazing Almond Biscotti

This is one of our favorite biscotti recipes-it is simply superb with a cup of hot, spiced Chai tea! It's also excellent if 3/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries are added!

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Yields: 36 biscotti

Ingredients

• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 cup white sugar
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3  large eggs
• 1⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  almond extract
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄2 cups  whole almonds, blanched & coarsely chopped (can also use almonds that are pre-blanched & slivered)
• 1⁄4 cup powdered sugar, for shaping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Spray large baking sheet (12x19-inch) with Pam or oil.
3. If using whole, unblanched almonds, boil 2 cups water in microwave and place almonds in water for about 5 minutes. Remove skins and chop coarsely.
4. Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
5. Cream sugars and butter until creamy and smooth using an electric mixer.
6. Add eggs, almond and vanilla extracts, stir until well mixed.
7. Add the dry ingredients, including the almonds and mix well. Dough should be very thick and sticky. If it is too sticky to hold a shape you can use powdered sugar to thicken it - just be sure to mix the powdered sugar into the dough thoroughly.
8. Coat a flat surface (counter or cutting board) with powdered sugar and place dough onto it.
9. Divide dough into two balls and form roughly into a rectangle about 5x10-inch. Brush off excess powdered sugar and place biscotti dough onto the baking sheet.
10. Repeat with the other dough ball and place both logs side by side on the cookie sheet.
11. Bake 30 minutes until dry. Allow to cool 10 minutes.
12. Slice each log into 18 slices, about 1/2 inch each.
13. Place sliced biscotti back onto cookie sheet and bake an additional 10 minutes. Turn slices over and bake 10 more minutes (if desired).
14. Cool biscotti on a rack.
15. Can dip or stripe in white or dark chocolate.
16. Note: Store biscotti in an airtight container to retain freshness. If biscotti loose their crispiness, just pop them into a 300F oven for 5-10 minutes!