Nonna's Biscotti

For the bridal shower gifts to our guests, I baked a batch of Nonna's Biscotti and attached them to little bags of coffee that I bought at World Market. I chose this recipe since I already had brandy in my pantry and I'm always looking for ways to use it. I should have know better than to buy a huge bottle for one recipe a few months ago. Anybody have any good recipes that use brandy? I'd love for you to share them with me.

Aren't they cute? They keep for several days which is great since you can make them in advance.

Your kitchen will smell wonderful while they bake. I didn't have any trouble with crumbling when I cut them. I recommend you use a thin serrated knife. Once you make the initial first cut, press down hard and quickly; this way you shouldn't have any problems with the biscotti holding their shape.

Nonna's Biscotti
by Toni Oltranti

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons brandy
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole almonds with skin, lightly toasted , cooled, and coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Stir together sugar, butter, brandy, and extracts in a large bowl, then stir in almonds and eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.

Chill dough, covered, 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Using moistened hands, halve dough and form 2 (16-by 2-inch) loaves on an ungreased large baking sheet.

Bake until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Carefully transfer loaves to a rack and cool 15 minutes.

Cut loaves into 3/4-inch slices with a serrated knife.

Arrange biscotti, with a cut side down, on a clean baking sheet and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.