Makes about 4½ dozen
We keep desserts simple at Patsy’s Italian Restaurant. I think it is because my father worked at a bakery from when he was six years old, where he learned how much customers love the Old World classics like biscotti and cannoli. (There is a great story about his boss making him whistle all day long so he could tell that the kid wasn’t eating up the profits.) Many of our guest’s meals are finished with a plate of these anise biscotti and an espresso.
We keep desserts simple at Patsy’s Italian Restaurant. I think it is because my father worked at a bakery from when he was six years old, where he learned how much customers love the Old World classics like biscotti and cannoli. (There is a great story about his boss making him whistle all day long so he could tell that the kid wasn’t eating up the profits.) Many of our guest’s meals are finished with a plate of these anise biscotti and an espresso.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping the dough
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon anise extract
- Confectioners’ sugar, for sifting
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl in the bowl of a heavy-duty standing mixer with the paddle attachment until the mixture is light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. One at a time, beat in the eggs, followed by the yolk, honey, and anise extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture the make sticky soft dough.
3. Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and divide into thirds. Shape each portion of dough, coating with flour as necessary to keep it from sticking, into an 11-inch-long log. Transfer the logs to the baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Using floured hands, pat the top of each log each log to flatten it into ½-inch thickness.
4. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and feel firm, about 25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 20 minutes.
5. Transfer the loaves to a chopping board. Using a serrated knife, cut the loaves crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices.
6. Position a rack about 8 inches from the source of heat and preheat the broiler on High. In batches, spread the biscotti, cut sides up, on the baking sheet and broil, and watching carefully to avoid burning, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove from the broiler, turn the biscotti over, and return to the broiler to brown the other sides. Transfer to wire cooling racks and let cool completely.
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