ANISE AND WALNUT BISCOTTI

These biscotti have been a holiday tradition for decades. I inherited the recipe from my in-laws who got the original recipe long ago from a newspaper article in the LA Times. A couple of years ago I altered the recipe to make it healthier and my family still loves them!

How to pronounce anise.

Did you know that in Italian the singular of biscotti is biscotto. In the US though we use the word biscotti as both the singular and plural form.

I am grateful for my family, our traditions, and our time together. I came across this old video with Johnny Cash singing "I Thank You." It reminds us to be thankful for our everyday blessings.

Ingredients

3 TBSP ground flaxseed + 5 TBSP water

1 and 3/4 cup bread flour (I used organic, non-bleached)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 cups chopped walnuts

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 TBSP anise seeds

3/4 cup almond butter, room temperature

3/4 cup maple syrup

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp anise extract

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine ground flax and water. Set in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. This will make "flax eggs."

2. In a large bowl combine bread flour, whole wheat pastry flour, walnuts, baking soda, baking powder, and anise seeds.

3. Probably best to combine the remaining ingredients and your "flax eggs" in a separate bowl then add to the dry ingredients. I didn't want to dirty another bowl so I added the remaining ingredients and flax eggs directly into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

4. Mix very well. The dough will be stiff. I used my hands for most of it.

5. Form a large log, then cut that log into 3 pieces. Shape each piece into a log. Place the logs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

6. Bake 25 minutes on middle rack in oven preheated to 350 degrees.

7. Remove the baking sheet from oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees. Place the warm logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut on a diagonal into slices 3/4 inch thick. Hold onto the sides when cutting so they don't crumble on the edges.

8. Place the biscotti back on the baking sheet and cook another 20 minutes. Turn over. Cook another 5 minutes or until they are golden brown both sides. Remove from oven and place biscotti on a cooling rack.

9. The original recipe suggest dipping cooled biscotti in chocolate but I do not do this.