Biscotti Di Regina (Queen's Biscuits)

On a baking sheet, roast blanched and unblanched almonds until blanched almonds start to brown, shaking pan occasionally; 5 to 8 minutes. Remove blanched almonds, place in blender container and grind until it turns to powder. Set aside. Meanwhile, return whole almonds to oven 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove and chop whole almonds roughly with knife, leaving large chunks. Set aside. Turn oven down to 300 degrees. Grease baking sheet & dust with flour; set aside. In a small bowl, beat 3 eggs, vanilla & extract. In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and ground almonds.

Make a well in the center and add the eggs, blending to gradually incorporate all of flour mixture. You should have a stiff dough. If it is too stiff to hold together, add a little water. Add the crushed almonds and knead them evenly into the dough. Divide dough into 3 portions. Form each into a long log, rounded or slightly oval (about 1-1/2 inches in diameter). It will flatten as it bakes. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Turn oven down to 275 degrees. With a serrated knife, cut logs into 3/4" slices. (NOTE: Unlike slicing a loaf of bread, straight across its width, cut biscotti on a 45 degree angle.) Lay slices flat on 2 baking sheets. Return to oven for 20-25 minutes, turning slices 1/2 way through baking time. Remove from oven; allow to cool completely before sealing in containers. They will stay fresh up to 1 month.

per Ronda Eikenberry



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