Day 8 Of Rosie's Christmas Baking.

I decided to make Biscotti today. And I have a recipe I make every year that really doesn't work for me. It tastes good, but it just doesn't work.

Here's the original recipe: 2 3/4 cups sifted flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 stick chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 12 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger 3 1/2 imported white chocolate, cut into pieces 1 2/3 cup whole almonds, toasted 2 large eggs 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon apricot flavored brandy 2 teaspoons almond extract 1 6 ounce package dried apricots, diced

I decided to change the recipe and go out on my own. Plus, I went to Claudia's blog, cookeatFRET and saw she'd just made biscotti. And she uses NO BUTTER! OK, I thought to myself, I'll try. I changed my original recipe to: 3 1/2 cups flour 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 cup amaretto 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger pieces But I just HAD to put a stick of butter in. The dough SCREAMED for BUTTAH. Sorry, Claudia. Yes, I know. I am a HEATHEN.

I toasted 2 cups of whole almonds, then Cuisinarted them with about 10 2-3 second pulses.

The flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Added in the butter bits.

Then the eggs.

Processed it into a nice ball.

Added in the vanilla.

The almond extract.

Measured out 1/4 cup Amaretto.

Poured in the Amaretto.

Dried apricots on the left. Ginger on the right.

Chopped 'em up. Ended up with 1/4 cup ginger and 1/2 cup apricots.

Added the apricots to the dough.

Then the ginger.

And finally the nuts. Processed. And crap. I thought my 32-year old Cuisinart had died out on me. It just wouldn't go. After just balling up the dough. So, I scooped the dough into another bowl. Put the Cuisinart pieces back together. And it works just fine, thank goodness. My dough was just too wet. Next time I make this biscotti, I'll add in at least another cup or so of flour.

After I put the liquids into the batter/dough, it was too gloppy. The processor should have still had the dough in a ball going around the side. That would have been the right consistency. I had a messy consistency. Entirely too moist.

But, what the Hey. I went on. Floured my fingers and packaged my gloppy mix into a nice bar.

And here they are. Nicely packaged and floured biscotti.

I baked in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes and they pretty much spread out, what with them being so moist and all.

I sliced on the diagonal.

Placed on baking sheets.

And cooked each side at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

And gosh, they were GOOD.

OK, Claudia, maybe I'll try yours with NO BUTTAH. It's just going to be very hard for me to do.