Day 1: Fail-proof No Bake Cookies
Day 2: Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
Day 3: Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Whipped Maple Cream Cheese Filling
Day 4: Snickerdoodles
Day 5: Gingerbread Cookies
Day 6: Alfajores or Dulce de Leche sandwich cookies

I love this biscotti.  Perfectly crunchy - great as is, or dunked into your hot chocolate.  The fennel gives it a little extra something that you didn't even know was missing until you tried it.  Yes, I made a a batch with and without the fennel, just to be sure.  Don't leave it out!  It takes these cookies from pretty great to absolutely amazing!  The lemon-white chocolate rounds out the flavor, making these my favorite biscotti, and my new go-to recipe.  Wrap a few as a gift for your friends, neighbors, or co-workers.... if there are any left!  :)

Almond Biscotti with Lemon

• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp fennel seed, crushed in a mortar and pestle or coarsely ground
• 1 cup whole almonds, toasted, and coarsely chopped

• 1 large egg white, for brushing

• 3 cups white chocolate chips
• zest of two lemons
• 1 tsp lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl combine sugar and melted butter.  Mix in eggs, extracts, and fennel.  Add flour mixture and stir until well blended.  Mix in the almonds.

Divide dough in half.  Using floured hands, shape into two logs, about 13 1/2 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide.  Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart.  Whisk egg white in a small bowl until foamy.  Brush over top and sides of each log.


Bake 30 minutes, until golden brown.  Logs will spread.  Cool completely on baking sheet.  Transfer to a work surface (discard the parchment paper).  Here's where it gets tricky: us a large, sharp, unserrated knife, like a chef knife (I know, most directions tell you to use a serrated knife) and gently slice through the logs.  Cut logs into 1/2 inch wide slices on a diagonal.  (Using a serrated knife seems to catch on the almonds and tear and crumble the biscotti, while the chef knife easily cuts through the almonds.)

Arrange slices, cut side down on the same baking sheet.  Bake 12 minutes (still at 350).  Turn biscotti over and bake another 8 minutes, until just beginning to color.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  When melted, stir in lemon zest and lemon extract.  Dip bottom half of the biscotti in the chocolate, then place on parchment paper to solidify.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.