Vanilla Biscotti | American Biscotti Recipe

I am a huge fan of biscotti, I never leave a Starbucks / Cafe without getting a slice of their Almond Biscotti. I must say that I had tasted biscotti the first time on my trip to US a few years back and I have always wondered how do they make them. I love their cakey taste and biscuit texture. Although almonds bicotti are my absolute favourite I have tasted other version of chocolate, vanilla and so on. I was super excited to try the Vanilla version and topped it with nuts. This recipe below is sure a fool-proof one and you must be the tons of reviews on this recipe, its a great giveaway goodie or Chirstmas goodie for friends and family.

Biscotti are Italian born twice baked cookies. They make an ideal companion to coffee. There are various versions of Biscotti these days ranging from almond, vanilla, chocolate, double chocolate, nuts and even vegan versions. The traditional one being Almond Biscottis as Italy is a place where almonds are easily sourced. A sticky dough is baked and then removed from the oven, cooled for a brief time and again re-baked to remove all the moisture to form a crisp biscuit like texture.

VANILLA BICOTTI RECIPE

Recipe Source -  Here
Makes - 10-12 pieces

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 large egg

1 cup all-Purpose Flour/ maida

Coarse white sparkling sugar, for sprinkling on top (optional)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large baking sheet.
• In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
• Beat in the egg; the batter may look slightly curdled. At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.
• Plop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape it into two 9 1/2" x 2" logs, about 3/4" tall. Straighten the logs, and smooth their tops and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper works well here. Sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired, pressing it in gently.Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven.
• Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the logs, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• Wait 5 minutes, then use a sharp chef's knife or serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 1/2" to 3/4" slices. Or cut the biscotti on the diagonal, for fewer, longer biscotti. As you're slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they'll topple over during their second bake.
• Set the biscotti on edge on the prepared baking sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, until they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden. They'll still feel a tiny bit moist in the very center, if you break off a piece; but they'll continue to dry out as they cool.
• Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Store airtight at room temperature; they'll stay good for weeks.