Easy Biscotti

This is a typical old fashioned Italian family recipe. It is very nonspecific with measurements and requires the baker to use some judgment. This means, you need to have an idea how each ingredient affects the outcome of the recipe.

1 1/2 cups oil
5 eggs
2 cups sugar
vanilla
5-6 cups flour
4 tspn baking powder
1 tspn baking soda
bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes

yep. That's it....the whole recipe. Pretty specific huh? You have to play with it a little to get the cookie you want. Here's what I've done with it:

Preheat oven to 350.
I mix all of the dry ingredients first using 5 cups of flour. Then I add all of the wet ingredients using 1 tspn of vanilla. Temperature and humidity can effect the consistency of the batter. If the batter is not stiff enough to make a loaf out of, I add flour until it is. I form the batter into a loaf that is a little taler than it is wide. It runs almost the length of a cookie sheet. (I can usually get 2 loafs on a cookie sheet.) It goes in the oven on the middle rack with the timer set for 15 minutes. It will drop and spread out a little bit so the edges will be thin but the center will be thick. It is done when it starts to take on a golden tone. It will also look dry. It can be left in the oven longer if it is not done. I have had to leave it in for up to 1/2 hour. Remove and let it cool for about 1/2 hour. Then, slice the loaf into wedges about an inch or 2 in width. (Now it starts to look like the biscotti you get at coffee shops to dip in your coffee.) If it is not completely baked in the center, that's okay. The slices are going back in the oven anyway. Lay the wedges on their sides on the cookie sheet and toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes. If you like both sides toasted, you can flip the wedges over and toast the other side. Eat them hot or let them cool. (They become more crispy on the surface as they cool.)
Enjoy plain or dipped in coffee or hot chocolate.
Bon Appetite!