Hazelnut Biscotti

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups whole shelled hazelnuts or 2 1/2 cups almonds, toasted and skins rubbed off
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (optional)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs
• 3 tablespoons hazelnut-flavored liqueur or 3 tablespoons almond-flavored liqueur
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (if using almonds)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Recipe

• 1 variations-------------.
• 2 ginger: halve the amount of the nuts and add 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1/3 cup minced candied ginger and 1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger.
• 3 omit the hazelnut liquer and add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• 4 orange:add 3 tablespoons grated orange zest and use orange liquer instead of hazelnut.
• 5 chocolate: increase the amount of cocoa to 1/2 cup, increase the liquer to 1/4 cup.
• 6 decrease nuts by 1/3 and add 1 cup chocolate chopped, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• 7 lemon-pine nut: omit the nuts, cocoa and liquer.
• 8 use lightly toasted pine nuts and add 1 1/2 tablespoons each of grated lemon rind and lemon juice.
• 9 coffee: using the hazelnut or almond recipe, add 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules.
• 10 also add 2 teaspoons ground cardamon or cinnamon.
• 11 halve the amount of the nuts and add 1 cup chopped dried apricots and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• 12 preheat the oven to 350'f (180'c or gas mark 4).
• 13 place half of the hazelnuts and all of the sugar in a blender (or food processor) and process until the nuts are finely chopped.
• 14 place in a bowl.
• 15 coarsley chop the rest of the nuts and add to bowl along with the dry ingredients.
• 16 in another bowl, blend the eggs, liquer and butter.
• 17 stir into the dry ingredients and knead gently with your hands to form a dough.
• 18 divide the dough in half and on lightly greased baking trays, form the dough into 2- 14 inch rolls- 3" wide and 1" thick.
• 19 bake at 350'f for 40 minutes.
• 20 remove from oven.
• 21 allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• 22 cut with a serrated knife into 1/2" slices.
• 23 return the slices to the baking trays.
• 24 place them upright and spaced well apart.
• 25 lower the oven to 300'f and bake for another 20 minutes until crisp and dry- but not brown.
• 26 cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.