Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti
This is my adaptation of a recipe from The Best 50 Biscotti Recipes.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 tbs. poppy seeds
1 tsp. lemon oil (not extract)
1 tbs. grated lemon peel (optional)
2 cups unbleached white pastry flour (I get pastry flours from King Arthur Flour)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (obligatory fiber content!)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, poppy seeds, lemon oil and peel. Beat well.
In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Fold into lemon mixture on low speed until well blended. Dump mixture into greased biscotti pan (item 5128 from King Arthur Flour). Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake feels firm in the center.
Cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Invert onto another rack and release from pan. Invert again, and let cool for at least 10 minutes (it will be easier to slice when slightly cool). Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices on cookie sheet(s) with a bit of space around each, and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. Cool thoroughly on a rack, and store in cookie jar or airtight container. They keep a very long time!
You can use unbleached flour instead of the pastry flour. The lower-gluten pastry flour is a bit more tender, but since they're essentially stale anyway, it doesn't matter much :)