Hazelnut-Raisin Biscotti

[Kitchen Witch]

Hazelnut-Raisin Biscotti
Biscotti has been a family favorite (of course - I'm Italian) forever! There are many wonderful recipes for these fantastic cookies - here is another variation which of course is one of my favorites.

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground aniseed
2 teaspoons minced orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons anisette
1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 350. Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Bake, stirring once or twice until lightly browned and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

Pour the hot water over the golden raisins to plump them, let sit for 10 minutes. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, hazelnuts, anise and orange zest in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Drain raisins, reserving the liquid. Add the raisins to the dry ingredients. Mix all together on low speed. In a small bowl whisk the vanilla, anisette and egg yolk together and pour into the flour mixture continuing on low speed until well mixed. You may need to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the raisin water to make the dough come together. The dough should be firm, not sticky.

Preheat oven to 350. On a floured work surface, roll the dough into a log about 12 inches long. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until lightly golden brown about 30 minutes. Gently press the log if it bounces back, it is done. Remove from the baking sheet and let cool on a cooling rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300.

Using a sharp knife cut the log diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lay the slices cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set another baking sheet underneath, (this double lining will allow the biscotti to dry out without browning and will ensure that theyre light and crisp). Bake for another 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire racks to cool completely. If you do not remove the biscotti from the baking sheet, moisture will collect under them and they will be soft not crisp. Store airtight, at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.




Makes 2 dozen biscotti.