Pignoli Biscotti
Here is the recipe for the Biscotti that I baked the other day when complaining about the CPA and IRS. This is super simple. Why pay for the those pre-packaged Biscotti at work when you can make your own under an hour and take them to work fresh from home! This is a great recipe for beginning baker wanna bes. Really! For another Biscotti recipe you can check out Susan's recipe at Farmgirl Fare. Susan does some great recipes and you can bet they are truly doable.

Pignoli Biscotti
2/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar ( have to use the Splenda for Baking)
2 eggs
2 TBS lemon juice (fresh)
2 TBS lemon zest
2 cups plus 2 TBS unbleached or all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Place nuts in a shallow pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool. In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, lemon juice and zest. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, mixing until blended. Fold in nuts. Divide dough in half. On a greased and floured baking sheet pat out into two logs about 1/2 inch high, 1 1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake in the middle of a preheated 325 degree oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer from the baking sheet to a rack. Let cool for 5 minutes. Place on a cutting board. With a serrated knife slice diagonally at a 45 degree angle about 1/2 inches thick. Lay slices flat on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 10 minutes longer, turning over once, to dry slightly. Let cool on a rack. Store in a covered container.
Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen

Notes: When you bake the pine nuts, really watch them closely. If they get too brown they taste on the bitter side. It doesn't take long for them to burn so don't get on the computer to read blogs and forget them! I used Splenda for Baking instead of sugar and I really couldn't tell a sweetness difference. If you don't like artifical sweetners the regular sugar works great. I have used both. I have to say that when I form the dough into the log, I cut it into two smaller logs. It seems to take a little less time for the first baking. I never get as many Biscotti as the recipe says it will yield but my cutting and measuring skills are lacking. I just cut them the thickness I like.

This recipe came from Biscotti by Lou Seibert Pappas