Stella's Biscottini

Makes about 50 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups raw toasted almonds
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (a pinch of this will go into the white egg mixture)
• 2 eggs plus the white of one egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp butter, preferably unsalted
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla (you can replace 1/2 tsp with anise if you like that flavor)
• Oil spray

Instructions:

1. Toast the almonds on 325 degrees just until fragrant, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Take 1 cup of the toasted almonds and pulse in a food processor just until they are broken up and choppy, about 8-10 pulses. Remove and set aside separate bowl.
3. Take the rest of the almonds and process until they turn into an almond meal, about 1 minute.
4. Add the dry ingredients (not sugar) to the almond meal and pulse until combined. Set aside in separate bowl.
5. Process the eggs until they are light in color and have about doubled in size. While the food processor is going, slowly add the sugar. Use a funnel to avoid sugar crystals all over your counter! :)
6. Once the sugar is incorporated, turn off the food processor and add the butter and extracts.
7. Pour the batter into a bowl. 
8. Add a portion of the wet batter to the dry and stir until just combined. Then add more flower and the chopped nuts until all is incorporated. You won't need to stir too much, just make sure the ingredients are incorporated and there are no pockets of flour.
9. Prepare your baking sheets by laying down parchment and either drawing a 2 x 9 rectangle 4 times and then turning over the parchment so you can still see the lines OR using a rectangular jig with those dimensions and about 3/4" high) put the dough into the rectangular shape. You should get about 4 logs, spaced out on one cookie sheet. 
10. Smooth out the logs, spraying oil on them and then shaping them with an offset spatula. Once smooth, brush the egg whites on each log. 
11. Put them in a 300 degree convection or 325 degree oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and are beginning to crack. Do not overcook - check after 20 minutes.
12. Once cooked, allow to cool for about 20-30 minutes. 
13. Once cool, take each log and cut out biscottini on the angle, about 1/2" thick, making sure to keep them basically the same size.
14. Place each biscottino on a cookie sheet with oven-safe cooling rack inside and lay the cookie cut side down. Make sure you do not crowd the cookies.
15. Bake the cookies for another 10-15 minutes or until they are the color you like. 
16. Take out and allow to cool. You can store these for up to one month and they will stay delicious.