These Italian Anise Biscotti have a wonderful licorice flavor. They’re not too sweet, easy to make, and slightly spongy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
I make lots of cookies every year at Christmas time and give them out as gifts. Joe’s Mom, Anna Rose, likes to share her cookies with her friends while they play cards. They decided that they wanted me to make an anise biscotti, so she sent me this recipe by Nina Carini. It has become a favorite cookie that I make every year. Of course, if you’re not a fan of anise, you can always substitute vanilla extract or a little lemon extract.
These Italian anise biscotti are perfect with a good cup of coffee or espresso. Since they are made with oil, they don’t get too hard like some biscotti. This biscotti recipe doesn’t contain any nuts making them perfect for those who have nut allergies or just don’t like nuts.
Italian Anise Biscotti are easy to make
The dough for these Italian anise biscotti is very soft. I like to chill it for a hour or two before baking the cookies. Once the dough is firm, I divide it into three “loaves” and bake them until golden. It is best to allow them to cool slightly before slicing. Upon slicing, you’ll notice a wonderful spongy texture.
To get the slightly crispy exterior, I bake them again. They will become slightly golden in color and dry out a little. I like to flip the biscotti over about half way through the second bake so both sides get crispy and golden. Of course, the longer the biscotti stay in the oven, the crispier they will get.
These cookies are best stored in a container with a tight fitting lid between layers of parchment paper.
Italian Anise Biscotti
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minutesThese Italian Anise Biscotti are not too sweet, easy to make, and slightly spongy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/8 cup canola oil
1 tbsp anise extract
Directions
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl, as necessary. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix well to combine. Next add the oil and anise extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and gradually add the flour mixture until just combined (the dough will be very soft). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill the dough about 1-2 hours until it has firmed up a little.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, and place on a baking sheet lined with a silpat silicone liner or parchment paper. Shape them into loaves leaving 2”-3” inches between each loaf.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. While the cookies are still warm, move the loaves to a cutting board and slice crosswise into 3/4” wide cookies. Place the cookies back onto the baking sheet so the sides can bake a little more and become golden brown and dry out a little. Bake about 5 minutes on one side and then turn them over to bake about 5 minutes on the other side. Cool on a wire rack.
