Be careful on the second baking of these
biscotti — if they get a little too dark the pistachios will turn brown
and you'll lose their lovely green color.
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup
sugar
1 1/2
teaspoons baking powder
6 ounces
(about 1 1/2 cups) unsalted pistachios
3 large
eggs
Finely
grated zest of 2 medium lemons
3 tablespoons
strained lemon juice
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
2 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans covered with parchment or foil.
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and
preheat to 350°.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder; stir well to
mix. Stir in the pistachios.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the lemon zest, juice, and vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to stir the egg mixture intot he dry ingredients. Continue to stir until a stiff dough forms.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured
work surface and divide it in half.
Roll each half under th epalms of your hands into a cylinder a little shorter
than your baking sheet. Place the logs of dough on the baking sheet, making
sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. With the
palm of your hand, press down gently to flatten the logs.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the logs are well risen and have spread to about double their size. The logs are done when, pressed with a fingertip, they feel firm. Place the pan on a rack to cool the logs completely.
Reset the racks in the upper and lower
thirds of the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F. Place each of
the cooled logs on a cutting board and cut it into 1/3-inch thick diagonal slices.
Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. It isn't necessary
to leave space between them. Bake the biscotti for about 15 or 20 minutes or
until they are dry and lightly golden. Cool on the
pan on a rack.
Store the cooled biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
Makes about 60 biscotti