Biscotti Alla Malena-Mash

I have been making these for years--I never allow the jar to go empty. It is my mother's recipe (Christina Malena), who is 100% Italian, as am I even though my last name (Don Mash) doesn't do justice to my heritage. The recipe is relatively easy and one gets better at it with some experience. My Mom only made them one way--anise/almond. The variations that are mentioned are mine. Choose flavorings, nuts, chips and fruits to suit taste--experiment while honoring the recipe's proportions. For chocolate, substitute 1/4 cup of cocoa for 1/4 cup of flour. For pumpkin or banana, substitute 1/2 cup for the milk.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 24 biscotti

Ingredients

• 3  eggs
• 1⁄4 lb butter
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 2  teaspoons  extract (vanilla or whatever. Only 1/2 tsp. if "oil" of anise)
• 2 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2-1  cup  nuts or 1⁄2-1  cup  fruit or 1⁄2-1  cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Melt butter and allow to cool.
2. In one bowl combine wet ingredients, then add sugar.
3. In larger bowl combine dry ingredients.
4. Grease a cookie sheet with Crisco.
5. Add butter to the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
6. Mix by hand but not excessively, then fold in nuts, fruit, and/or chips.
7. Preheat oven to 350.
8. Spoon onto the cookie sheet in 3 loaves, about 1/2 inch thick.
9. Bake 30 minutes, remove from oven, loosen loaves, slice across, 3/4" thick.
10. Turn each on side and place back in oven for 10-12 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and turn each on other side and bake 10-12 minutes.
12. Allow to cool--Store in a non-airtight glass jar.
13. Buon appetito!