A&M's Testing Notes:
Expand Collapsebreadandbeta's Notes:
Expand4 eggs Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups all-purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup vegetable oil Ask a question about this ingredient
4 tablespoons unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient
2 teaspoons baking powder Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 teaspoon anise extract Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 ounce brandy Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 teaspoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon anise seed Ask a question about this ingredient
Line 13x9x2 baking pan with foil. Grease foil.
Ask a question about this stepPreheat oven to 350 F.
Ask a question about this stepWith electric mixer, cream butter.
Ask a question about this stepAdd sugar and mix until incorporated.
Ask a question about this stepAdd eggs, mixing well after each addition.
Ask a question about this stepAdd oil. Mix well.
Ask a question about this stepCombine brandy, vanilla, and anise extract. Add to batter.
Ask a question about this stepAdd flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
Ask a question about this stepGrind anise seed in mortar and pestle. Add and mix to combine.
Ask a question about this stepPour batter into prepared pan.
Ask a question about this stepBake for 30 minutes, or until golden.
Ask a question about this stepRemove from oven and let cool for a minute.
Ask a question about this stepRemove from pan and peel off foil. Let cool on rack.
Ask a question about this stepSlice in half lengthwise. Slice each part into cookies, approx. 1 inch thick.
Ask a question about this stepArrange cookies onto baking sheet.
Ask a question about this stepCook an additional 10-15 minutes, to brown on each side.
Ask a question about this stepHi bottomupfood, glad you asked (mostly because it reminded me that I should make these again)!
I was skeptical for two reasons, neither of which had to do with the writing style (and, neither of which ended up being warranted, since I loved the way this recipe turned out):
1. All of the biscotti recipes I've made in the past had a firm dough that was formed into shape by hand, rather than a loose batter that was poured into a cake pan. I was unaware that this would produce biscotti with similar texture to my method, but was proven wrong, and was very happy with the results.
2. I was a little nervous that there was too much anise, and that it would be overwhelming (I almost even used less than called for--hence my comment above, about sticking to the recipe), but it ended up cooking out a bit, to where it was just the right amount--or, as you mentioned, could maybe even use more!
I go into a bit more detail in my blog post about Bread and Beta's awesome recipe: http://lovesfoodlovestoeat.blogspot.com/2010/03/totally-baked.html
This looks quite lovely. I am looking forward to trying them. Thank you.
Testing this tomorrw, can't wait! Planning on sending a batch to my parents for Easter!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
I made these and they turned out beautifully. I might increase the anise extract and/or anise seeds next time, but that might be because I love anise more than the average bear. I really liked how the recipe was written up. Curious to know why Loves Food Loves To Eat was skeptical of this recipe. Perhaps because it is so written in such simple, straightforward language? The lack of poetry didn't make the biscotti any worse.