Carmela Soprano's Biscotti d' Anise - Anise Cookies

The three fancy dessert recipes which I posted recently - Torta Caprese, Tortoni, 

and Pear and Grappa Pound Cake - were nice for Mother's Day.

But sometimes you just want a light dessert.

Especially when the thermometer is rising.

Bobby Bacala's chapter If I Couldn't Eat, I'd F**king Die in Artie Bucco's 

The Sopranos Family Cookbook has something for everybody.

Yes, some of his recipes are really just for reading.

But his recipe for Biscotti d' Anise - Anise Cookies - is simple.

Really.

And the cookies are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

Hint:

The anise seeds can be crushed with a hammer or whirled in a blender.

                        Biscotti d' Anise

Makes about 3 dozen

Preheat oven to 350º

Grease a 9-inch square pan

Line the bottom of the pan with wax paper or parchment.

Grease the paper.

Dust the bottom with flour and tap out the excess.

In a large mixer bowl, combine

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons anise extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 Cup sugar

Beat at low speed, gradually increasing the speed to high.

Beat until the eggs are very light and foamy and tripled in volume, 

about another 5 to 7 minutes.

Place in a sieve

1 Cup flour

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

Shake about one-third of the mixture over the egg mixture.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Repeat two more times with the remaining flour mixture.

Fold in

1 teaspoon anise seeds, crushed

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Level the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

The top should be evenly browned and firm when touched in the centre.

Remove the cake from the oven.

Raise the oven temperature to 375º.

Run a small knife around the edges of the cake.

Invert the cake onto a cutting board and remove the cake from the pan.

With a serrated knife cut the cake into 3 strips.

Cut each strip into 3/4-inch thick slices.

Place the slices, cut side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake the slices 50 to 10 minutes, until toasted and golden.

Remove them from the oven.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Store in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place.

Would I make Biscotti d' Anise again?

Sure.  It's a little different from Ma's Biscotti.

And also a little different from Carmela Soprano's Anisette Toast.

If I was having company I'd make all three.

A little variety never hurts.
And they store well.

One recipe down.  Nine more to go.

Carmela Soprano's Anisette Toast / Anna Sultana's Biscotti

It is December.

We have snow.

Christmas is coming.

Time to bake.

Carmela's Holidays chapter is packed with fish recipes.
Well, I told you last week why.
Italian Catholics sit down to a dinner of seven fish dishes on Christmas Eve.

Don't argue with tradition or you'll get a lump of coal in your stocking.

But, man does not live on fish alone.

A cookie goes better with coffee.

In the Small Events for Women Only chapter in Carmela's Entertaining with The Sopranos, there's a recipe that Italian babies are weaned on.
Anisette Toast.

No kidding.  

This is a hard, dry cookie that will split open any gum.

At first I didn't recognize the name.
We had always called them biscotti.
Everybody called them biscotti.
It's simple and sucks up coffee - or milk - like a sponge.

                        Biscotti

Grease a large cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 400º 

Sift together

3 cups flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, beat until foamy

6 large eggs

Add, about a tablespoon at a time

1 1/2 cups sugar

Beat constantly until fluffy.

Add

1 tablespoon anise extract

Add gradually the dry ingredients.

Spread the mixture in the greased pan.

Bake 20 minutes 

(until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).

Remove pan from oven, but don't turn off the oven.

Let the cake cool 5 minutes.

Invert on cutting board. 

With a serrated knife cut lengthwise in half, 

then cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Place the slices on their side on cookie sheets (ungreased)

Bake 10 minutes.

Cool on racks.  Store in airtight container.

Did Ma make biscotti?  Of course.
There was always a teething baby around in the 50s.

Eating biscotti sure reminds me of family get togethers.
Regular times.  Holiday times.  There was always something good to eat.

Would I make the Anisette Toast again?

Sure.  

I'm not getting any new teeth, but it's a nice low calorie snack.

And it keeps a long time.

Another recipe down.  Thirty-four more to go.

My German friends had something similar to biscotti.
They had teething babies, too.
Some things Italians and Germans shared.
Some things were different.  

That's another story.