Mark Bittman's Basic Biscotti

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 48
• 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 vanilla extract (or whatever flavor you want, i used a full teaspoon)
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375.
• 2 with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• 3 add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated; add extract and beat until incorporated.
• 4 butter and flour two cookie sheets (or spritz 'em with baking spray; that worked well for me). divide dough in half and shape each into a "log" about 2" wide. this will spread quite a bit during baking, so if you try to cram 'em on to one baking sheet, bear that in mind.
• 5 bake until logs are golden and beginning to crack on top. bittman says this is 30 minutes; for me, it was closer to 25 minutes. (at 30 minutes mine were a little overdone.) remove from oven and drop temperature to 250.
• 6 when loaves are cool enough to touch, slice each into 1/2-inch slices, on the diagnonal. (you can always eat the little nubby ends that are left over!)
• 7 return the slices to the baking sheets and return them to the oven. bake at 250 for another 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.
• 8 cool on wire racks.
• 9 note: mr. bittman makes lots of wonderful suggestions for variations. i threw in a cup of chopped blanched almonds and half a cup of currants, and used almond extract. you can throw in any spice you like (cinnamon, anise, nutmeg); a cup of nuts (almonds or hazelnuts); chocolate chips; citrus zest; crystallized ginger; dried fruit -- you can change the flavor of your extract to match. you can also wait until your biscotti are cool, and then top 'em with a chocolate glaze (4 oz. good chocolate mixed with 2 tablespoons butter and a little extract for flavoring).
• 10 enjoy!