Lenox Almond Biscotti

   Biscotti like these are universally enjoyed at any time of day! At breakfast with coffe, in the afternoon with tea, in a lunch box, or with ice cream or pudding for dessert. Light, crisp and almond flavored these biscotti are irresistible. You will want to bake them all the time just to have on hand.
   Once again, Baking by Dorie Greenspan, has maintained its amazing reputation for me, by providing some of the best recipes I use.

As Always,
ENJOY!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract 
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched

Instructions

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cornmeal and whisk again to blend.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light, smooth and creamy. Beat in the almond extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. You'll have a soft stick-to-your-fingers dough that will ball up around the paddle or beaters. Scrape down the paddle and bowl, toss in the almonds and mix just to blend.

Scrape half the dough onto one side of the baking sheet. Using your fingers and a rubber spatula or scraper, work the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The log will be more rectangular than domed and bumpy, rough and uneven. Form a second log with the remaining dough on the other side of the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the logs are lightly golden but still soft and springy to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool the logs on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.

If you turned off the oven, bring it back up to 350 degrees F.

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board and, with a long serrated knife, trim the ends and cut the logs into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet--this time standing them up like a marching band--and slide the sheet back into the oven.

Bake the biscotti for another 15 minutes, or until they are golden and firm. Transfer them to racks and cool to room temperature.

Serving: These are good with just about anything--including themselves. Eat one, and you'll want another.

Storing: Because they are dry and they're fine if they get even drier, the biscotti will keep at room temperature, covered or not, for about a week. They can be frozen, but I rarely store them that way--mostly because they rarely last long enough to get wrapped up for long-term storage.