Another Czech family recipe for Christmas-time cookies. In our family we called them “My Dad’s” favorite, but technically-originally they were my grandfather’s favorite.
I never got to meet my grandfather. But I also love these cookies! And I feel close to family when I’m making them, even if we are far apart.
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter – chilled – and cubed
- 3 eggs
- 125ml milk
- 75g walnuts and slivered or sliced almonds (raw or roasted) – coarsely chop the walnuts
- 75g dried fruit (a variety is best – e.g., roughly chopped dates, dried orange slices, currants)
- 500g all-purpose flour
- 150g sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp anise seed, coarsely ground in a spice blender
- zest of 1 lemon
Directions
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the oven to 350F with a rack in the middle.
- Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, ground anise seed, and lemon zest in a bowl. Set aside.
- Add the cubed butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle blade. Barely cream the butter.
- Add the eggs to the butter one at a time, then the milk, mixing on the lowest setting.
- Then add the flour mixture fairly quickly. Mix on low only until barely combined. Do not overmix.
- Using floured hands, shape the dough into 4 small logs. Do not overwork!
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until very lightly browned on the bottom.
- Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and then slice on the bias.
- You may need a second baking sheet at this point. Put the sliced biscotti back onto the baking sheets, flat side up. Bake for another 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool. Enjoy!
radmeal 