Easy Biscotti
1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon anise extract or 3 drops anise oil
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl beat together oil, eggs, sugar and anise until well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your cookie sheet. Place roll onto the prepared cookie sheet and press down to 1/2 inch thickness.
Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire rack. When the cookies are cool enough to handle, slice each one crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 6-10 minutes on each side. Cookie slices should be lightly toasted.
Maria on 02 Apr 2014 at 9:54 am #
HONEY CINNAMON CHRISTMAS TREESHoney and cinnamon biiucst dough200g butter, at room temperature1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar mixture1/3 cup (80ml) honey2 cups (300g) plain flour, sifted1/4 cup (40g) self-raising flour, sifted1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon2 tablespoons milkGlace icing2 eggwhites, lightly whisked3 1/4 cups (500g) pure icing sugar1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice1/2 cup desiccated coconutMethodLine 2 baking trays with baking paper. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and icing sugar mixture in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add honey. Beat until well combined.Place flours, cinnamon and milk in a bowl. Add butter mixture. Mix until dough begins to form. Turn onto a well floured surface. Knead gently until smooth. Divide dough in half and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.Preheat oven to 160b0C. Using a well floured rolling pin, roll one portion of dough out on a well floured surface until 5mm-thick.Using an 8.5cm Christmas tree cutter, cut out biiucsts. Place on prepared trays. Bake,swapping trays halfway during cooking, for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool on tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.Make glace icing: Using a wooden spoon, lightly beat eggwhites. Sift icing sugar over eggwhite. Stir until smooth. Add lemon juice and stir until well combined.Spread biiucsts with icing, leaving a 2mm border. Sprinkle with coconut. Set aside for 1 hour to set. Serve or gift wrap.CHRISTMAS BELLSIngredients1 quantity honey and cinnamon biiucst dough (see related recipe)1/3 quantity glace icing (see related recipe)silver cachous, to decorateMethodUsing a 6.5cm bell cutter, cut out biiucsts. Place on prepared trays. Bake, swapping trays halfway during cooking, for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool on tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.Place icing in a piping bag fitted with a 2mm nozzle. Pipe small linked dots around edge of biiucsts. Decorate joins between dots with cachous. Set aside for 1 hour to set. Serve or gift wrap.CANDY CANE BISCUITESIngredients2 cups plain flour1/2 cup icing sugar mixture200g butter, chopped1 teaspoon vanilla essence1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar1 eggwhite, lightly whiskedred food colouringcellophane and ribbon, to decorateMethodLine 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Place flour and icing sugar mixture in a food processor. Add butter. Process in short bursts until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.Add vanilla essence and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Process, in short bursts, until mixture just comes together. Turn dough onto a piece of baking paper. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion out between 2 pieces of baking paper until 7mm thick.Using a 7cm to 8cm long candy cane-shaped cutter, cut out shapes (see note). Place shapes on prepared trays. Roll together remaining dough and repeat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 180b0C.Bake biiucsts for 10 minutes, swapping trays over halfway through cooking. Allow to cool on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Sift pure icing sugar into a bowl. Add eggwhite. Stir until smooth. Add 2 to 3 drops of red food colouring. Stir until icing is pink. Spoon icing into a snap-lock bag. Snip off one corner. Pipe icing over cookies. Set aside for 20 minutes to set. Place cookies in cellophane bags. Secure with ribbon.CHOCOLATE PANFORTEIngredientsMelted butter, to greaseEdible rice-paper sheets, to line175g (1 cup) mixed glace fruit, finely chopped85g (1/2 cup) blanched almonds80g (1/2 cup) pine nuts75g (1/2 cup) plain flour1 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 tsp ground cloves1/2 tsp ground cardamom1/2 tsp ground nutmeg110g (1/2 cup) white sugar125ml (1/2 cup) honey125g good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely choppedIcing sugar, to dustMethodPreheat oven to 180b0C. Brush a 20cm (base measurement) springform pan with butter to lightly grease. Line the base and side with edible rice paper.Combine the mixed glace fruit, almonds, pine nuts, flour, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg in a large bowl.Combine the sugar and honey in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Add to the fruit mixture and, working quickly, stir with a wooden spoon until combined.Spoon the mixture into the lined pan and smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until just firm. Set aside in the pan for 5 minutes to cool slightly before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.Dust the panforte with icing sugar. Cut into wedges to serve.LEMON PASSIONFRUIT SHORTBREAD STARSIngredients225g