Almond Biscotti With Orange Rind

This is my long time favorite desert, travels well, freezes well, and is great at dunking in coffee, and is amazingly easy to make. The original recipe came to me from very long ago and while OK just lacked something. It turns out that sometime is more nuts, more flavorings, and orange peel. I almost always double the recipe which then makes about 45- 50 biscotti. I have also been known to dip some of the biscotti in melted chocolate.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 25

Ingredients

• 1 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  large eggs
• 1  tablespoon  almond liqueur, of some type
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups  toasted almonds, slices or slivers
• 2  tablespoons  orange rind or 1  orange, rind of
• 1⁄4 cup turbinado sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Set rack at middle.
3. Toast almonds and allow to cool, break almonds into small pieces.
4. Line baking sheet or oblong tart pan with parchment paper (I prefer using the rectangular tart pans with removable bottoms).
5. In a medium size bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
6. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attached, mix the eggs, sugar, flavoring agents together for at least 5 minutes at medium speed.
7. SLOWLY add the dry ingredients in the bowl to the egg mixture.
8. JUST INCORPORATE the dry ingredients, do not overmix.
9. Add the almonds to the bowl, mixing only long enough to incorporate.
10. DO NOT OVERMIX.
11. DOUGH SHOULD BE STICKY.
12. Remove dough from bowl and place onto lightly floured work surface.
13. Flour hands and top of dough.
14. Form dough into 2 round logs, about 8-12 inches long.
15. Place dough onto a sheet of parchment paper onto which the turdinado sugar has been sprinkled.
16. Roll the dough logs in the sugar and then place on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper or one log in each rectanglular tart pan lined with parchment paper.
17. Bake at 350 degrees for EXACTLY 35 minutes.
18. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
19. Slice each log into 1/2- 3/4 inch thick slices on an angle.
20. Lay slices down on a wire rack that can be placed in the oven.
21. Bake the slices at 300-325 degrees for another 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned (very lightly),.
22. Remove from oven and cool.