Veganomicon_ The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook - Isa Chandra Moskowitz [162]
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on their baking sheets for about 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool the cookies completely before storing in a tightly covered container.
ALMOND-ANISE BISCOTTI
MAKE 18 COOKIES
TIME: ABOUT AN HOUR
This is the classic twice-baked Italian cookie—not overly sweet, bursting with toasted almonds or chocolate or spices, with a definite cookie crunch. These biscotti are ideal treats for midafternoon snacks or packing into lunch boxes, especially lunch boxes for grown ups. And of course, these hold up perfectly when dipped into tea or a soy latte. Try some of the variations as well, such as the Orange-Chocolate Chip and Cranberry-Pistachio.
⅓ cup almond or soy milk
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
¾ cup sugar
½ cup canola oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1⅔ cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons aniseeds
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole, raw almonds
➣It’s not necessary to flip these biscotti during the baking. However, if you feel confident in your biscotti-making ability and want really crisp, firm cookies, try flipping them once during the middle of the second baking. Our fingers are made of asbestos so we use those, but most normal people just use a small spatula.
PREHEAT THE oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond milk and flaxseeds for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar, oil, and extracts, and mix until smooth. Sift in the flour, arrowroot, baking powder, aniseeds, and salt.
Stir to mix all the ingredients and, just as a firm dough starts to form, knead in almonds. Knead the dough only briefly. Some of the almonds might pop out; just push them back in.
On the baking sheet, form the dough into a rectangle about 12 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide. Bake for 28 minutes until lightly puffed; the top may also be slightly crackled, which is okay.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes, until very firm.
Turn up the oven heat to 375°F. Carefully transfer the baked dough to a cutting board. With a heavy, very sharp knife, slice the dough into ½ -inch-thick slices. The best way to do this is in one motion, pushing down; don’t saw the slices off (or use a serrated knife) or the slices could crumble. Be gentle when handling the biscotti at this time, as they are delicate.
Set the slices on the cookie sheet on their cut sides, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until your desired level of brownness and crispness is achieved.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring the slices to a cooling rack. When completely cool, store in an airtight container.
Variations: Orange-Chocolate Chip: Substitute fresh orange juice for the almond milk. Omit aniseed and almond extract, and increase the vanilla to 1 teaspoon. Omit the almonds and add 2 tablespoons of packed, grated orange zest and ½ cup of vegan chocolate chips.
Cranberry-Pistachio: Omit the aniseeds and almonds. Add ½ cup each dried cranberries and shelled green pistachios
Hazelnut: Omit the almonds and use hazelnuts.
CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT BISCOTTI
MAKE 18 COOKIES
TIME : ABOUT AN HOUR
These are mouth-watering, dark chocolate biscotti chock full of crunchy hazelnuts. Make a double batch of these because they’re sure to disappear fast. ⅓ cup almond or soy milk
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup canola oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
⅓ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
or regular unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole, raw hazelnuts
PREHEAT THE oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk