Italian Biscotti

Italian Biscotti. The very best recipe for this traditionally soft and tender iced vanilla cookie.

Servings 4 -5 dozen

Ingredients

For the cookie:

3/4 cup salted butter 1 1/2 sticks
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the icing and decoration:

2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tablespoons or more of water
2 teaspoons vanilla
rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds or until softened.
Add sugars and beat until combined.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
Add flour and baking powder and mix on low until combined.
On a lightly floured surface, take a scoop of dough and roll out into a long log about 1/2" thick (about the size of your pinky finger.) You want just enough flour so that the dough doesn't stick to your surface, but you want it to hug it a little so you can roll it out. Too much flour will make the surface too slick and your dough will just slide instead of roll.
Cut long roll into 5" lengths. If you have an extra bit of dough at the end that isn't long enough, just put it aside and roll with the next scoop.
Take one 5" section, bring ends together and twist twice (see video.) Place on your cookie sheet about an inch and a half to two inches apart.
Bake for 6-10 minutes until cookie is set and firm but not browning around the edges. Mine took about 8 minutes.
Cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Make your icing. Mix confectioner's sugar, vanilla and enough water to get a good drizzling consistency.
Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper (for easier clean up later.)
Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the icing, scraping the excess off on the side of the bowl before placing onto the prepared cookie sheet.
After you've dipped a few cookies, stop to add your sprinkles before the icing hardens, then continue dipping and sprinkling until all cookies are decorated.
Allow icing to set.

Recipe Notes

*If you'll be packing them up to store, let icing set for a few hours until firm. Then layer between sheets of wax paper and store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or you can freeze for up to 3 months.

*Yes, I freeze them iced. I've tried freezing them without icing, but icing small plates of cookies every time I need them is too inefficient for me. You may experience some running of colors from the sprinkles into the icing, but this could happen even if you don't freeze them.

Recipe from a friend's grandmother