Italian Biscotti Cookies

The perfect holiday cookie!

Decorated for Christmas

This isn't your traditional Biscotti, which means "twice baked."  I actually don't know why these are even called Biscotti, but that's what the lady from Italy called them, when she gave me the recipe. 

When I made them for my mom and the family, it became a favorite with everyone, and still is for my granddaughter. 

Overall, the cookies are light on both sugar and shortening, but the glaze and sprinkles add just the right amount of delicate sweetness.  These cookies are delicious with a cup of tea or coffee and are a great way to celebrate any special occasion.  They also freeze well, glaze and sprinkles included!  

This recipe makes a lot of cookies, depending on how big you make them, so you can cut it in half.  Make sure your twists are on the small side, they will expand in the oven. 

Ingredients:
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
6 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
8 Tbsp. shortening
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375'F. 

Mix together, flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl. 

Cut in with a fork, 8 Tbsp. shortening (like for pie crust)

Mix together; 4 eggs, 1 cup milk and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Add to mixture and mix well.

Dough will be sticky, so add enough flour to handle, but not too much or it will dry out.

Slice off a strip of dough and roll into a long rope about the thickness of a pencil. Cut the ropes into 4 inch lengths and twist around just once. 

Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. 
Cookies can also be made by rolling a rounded tablespoon into a ball or shaping ropes into a circle and pressing the ends together.

Bake for approximately 10 – 12 minutes (depends on the size of your cookie) until the cookie is just lightly browned on the edges. Cool for two minutes in the pan and then remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze:
1 box confectioner’s sugar (approx. 3 cups), sifted
Approx. 6 Tbsp. milk or water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
nonpareil sprinkles (optional) 

Make glaze adding the water or milk a little at a time until it is a good consistency. Glaze should be slightly “runny”. 

 Once cooled, grasp a cookie and dunk the top portion into the glaze, allowing the glaze to drip off before returning the cookie to the wire rack. 

Add sprinkles and let the glaze dry completely before stacking or storing the cookies. These cookies freeze well.  I've also divided the glaze and used food coloring to make different colored glaze...they looked so beautiful.  I wish I had taken a picture of them for you.
Bake 375'F. for 8-10 minutes or until just lightly browned on bottom.


Be encouraged!

"And she (Mary) gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn."   -John 2:7