Italian Biscotti Cookies

My 85 year old Italian friend, made these the other night for our dance. She got the recipe from her great aunt, who got it from Italy. I have not made them myself, but I plan to as soon as I can. They were really really good.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 2 1⁄4 cups flour
• 3  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  cut up  almonds
• 3  eggs
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 3  teaspoons  anise flavoring
• 1⁄4 cup  whiskey
• 3  tablespoons anise seed

Directions

1. In mixer blend butter and sugar, add eggs, one at a time and mix together. Add whiskey, vanilla, anise flavor and mix.
2. Sift flour, salt and baking powder and gradually add to above mixture. Blend well.
3. By hand, mix in nuts and anise seed -- MIx well.
4. On a greased cookie sheet, using two spatulas, make rows of dough about 1 1/2 inches wide, more or less. Use spatualr to make somewhat of a roll.
5. Bake 350 degrees, about 20 minutes, until light brown. Take out and cool a bit (put next batch i9n oven.
6. Slice first batch in diagonal slices, arrange cookies on each side, put back in oven and bake each side for 10-15 min ( until brown).