| 1 | Preheat oven to 350°F. |
| 2 | Mix sugar with butter, brandy, vanilla, almond extract, nuts and eggs. |
| 3 | Mix well. |
| 4 | stir in flour, baking powder and salt. |
| 5 | Form into a long loaf (or loaves), place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until firm and softly cakelike. |
| 6 | Remove from oven and let cool slightly. |
| 7 | when cool enough to handle, slice into ?inch diagonal slices and return to cookie sheet. |
| 8 | Bake for 15-25 miutes, turning once, until both sides are brown-flecked and toasted. |
| 9 | Cool thoroughly and store in an airtight jar. |
| 10 | makes 2-3 dozen. |
| 11 | variation 1 (mandlebrot): increase sugar to 1-?cups. |
| 12 | Diced dried apricots may by added. |
| 13 | variation 2: for a clasic anise-flavored biscotto, substitute pernod, ouzo or anisette for the brandy and omit the almond extract. |
| 14 | Several tablespoons of anise seeds may be added for additional oomph. |
| 15 | variation 3 (hazelnut biscotti): use hazelnuts in place of almonds. |
| 16 | A hazelnut liqueur may be used instead of brandy. |
| 17 | Omit the almond extract. |
| 18 | variation 4 (mediterranean biscotti): use rosewater instead of brandy. |
| 19 | Substitute unsalted pistachio nuts for the almonds, and add ?- ?cup diced figs to the dough. |
| 20 | variation 5 (ginger-flavored biscotti): to the basic dough, add 1 tbsp powdered ginger, a generous dash of cloves and cinnamon, 1 or 2 tbsp of candied ginger and ?cup raisins, if desired. |
| 21 | Omit the almond extract. |
| 22 | variation 6 (paximatha): this greek rusk dates back to the 5th century, virtually unchanged. |
| 23 | Substiture ?to ?cup toasted sesame seeds for the almonds. |
| 24 | Omit the almond extact and flavor the dough with 1 tsp cinnamon and ?tsp cloves. |
| 25 | variation 7 (fekkas): a moroccon twice-baked cookie. |
| 26 | Substitute orange flower water for the brandy. |
| 27 | variation 8; pine nuts may be used instead of almonds, though the richness may be less desirable than the crunch of the toasted almonds. |
| 28 | Candied fruits, too, may be added, ?to ?cup assorted fruits blended into the dough before baking. |
| 29 | variation 9 (chocolate dipped): melt ?pound semi-sweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just simmering water. |
| 30 | If it "seizes" or "tightens", add 2 tbsp of unsalted buter and it should smooth out again. |
| 31 | Dip only one side of each cookie (the chocolate won"t seal in the moisture that way). |
