anise + almond biscotti

Heat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roast the almonds for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Once they’ve cooled, coarsely chop them. Maintain the oven temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and anise extract, pulsing until combined.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, anise seeds, baking powder, salt, and the coarsely chopped nuts. Add the dry ingredients all at once into the food processor and pulse 4 to 5 times until combined.

Transfer the dough to your work surface and form it into a rough ball. Divide the ball into two equal pieces, then roll each half into a log that’s about 2 inches in diameter and 9 inches long. Transfer to a baking sheet, leaving space between the logs for expansion (they’ll spread and flatten quite a bit). Bake for 30 minutes,

or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, keeping your oven at 325°F. (Don’t let the logs cool longer than this or they may become too hard to slice.)

Transfer the logs to a cutting board and discard the parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs diagonally into ½-inch-wide slices. Arrange the slices cut side down on the baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes. Turn the biscotti over; continue baking until they are just beginning to color, about 8 minutes longer.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze, tightly wrapped, for up to a month.