Cornmeal Almond Anise Biscotti
Crunchy, nutty, slightly sweet and perfect for dunking, these Cornmeal Almond Anise Biscotti will become a favorite!
I had the great fortune of working as the pastry chef at an authentic Tuscan restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ called “Franco’s Trattoria” (now Franco’s Italian Caffé). During that time I made countless biscotti, or “Cantucci di Prato”, that were served after dinner with espresso and cappuccinos. These were simple almond biscotti laden with vanilla and with sparkling sugar tops. The cantucci have always been a favorite of mine due to their simplicity, perhaps second only to these Cornmeal Almond Anise Biscotti. I learned how to make these cookies in culinary school from a German chef, but later found the exact same variety on a trip to Venice. The crunch of the yellow cornmeal and almonds with the sweet anise and vanilla flavor is a wonderful combination. I make these every Christmas for my mom and brother who are equally as fond!
The Process:
The dough for these Cornmeal Almond Anise Biscotti is quite dense, so mixing in a heavy duty stand mixer is advised. Once mixed, the dough is divided into either 3 or 6 parts, depending on the size of biscotti you want.
Roll each section of dough into a log the length of your baking sheet. 3 logs will produce more substantial-sized biscotti, but forming 6 skinnier logs will make small biscotti that are great for gifts!
Flatten the logs slightly on parchment-lined baking sheets and brush with an egg glaze of whisked egg and a little water.
Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar. This adds an extra bit of sheen and sparkle!
The biscotti logs are baked the first time until golden brown and firm. Once they have cooled slightly, slice them into half-inch pieces.
Return the biscotti to the baking sheets, cut sides down and bake once more at a lower temperature of 275 degrees until lightly toasted.
The Cornmeal Almond Anise Biscotti are then ready for gifting or Fika time! These make a perfect holiday treat, but should definitely be enjoyed year round!
Cornmeal Almond Anise Biscotti
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon anisette or anise extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons anise seed
- 2 2/3 cups flour
- 1 cup chopped raw almonds
- 1 egg, whisked with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
- Granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs one at a time and mix until thoroughly combined. Mix in anisette and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together cornmeal, baking powder, salt, anise seed and flour. Add to egg mixture to form dough. Carefully mix in chopped almonds.
- Remove dough from mixer and divide into 6 even amounts (or 3 if you want to make bigger biscotti).
- Roll each piece of dough into a log about 12 inches long and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure there is plenty of space in between (I use 2 baking sheets for 6 logs, 3 on each one). Flatten logs slightly and brush entire surface with egg wash using a pastry brush. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar.
- Bake logs for 15-20 minutes (depending on size) until golden brown and firm but be careful not to overbake.
- Turn oven down to 275°.
- Cool biscotti logs slightly and then cut crosswise into ½-inch wide biscotti on a cutting board. Transfer back to baking sheets and bake a second time in single layers for 10-15 minutes longer just to lightly toast. Cool completely.
Notes
- Almond extract is a nice substitute for the anisette.
- These biscotti freeze well when wrapped in plastic or stored in air-tight containers.
- Finished amounts will vary on size of logs, but this recipe makes a lot of biscotti!
