Last night was the winery's annual staff 'white elephant' holiday party, an event near and dear to all our hearts. The $20 white elephant gift pool is legendary, the stories of hilariously appalling gift contributions and good-natured theft of choice items among colleagues and family are an ingrained part of the winery culture.
While I greatly appreciate the bathtub basketball hoop I scored, perhaps the most valued gift of the night (certainly ranks higher than the snugglie) is the effort the Bundschu women, Liz, Nancy and Gigi, put into throwing this party for the staff. They open their homes, decorate, and prepare all the food for fifty employees. As you can see, they put together a pretty fabulous spread.
This morning, I was delighted to find a cache of Liz Bundschu's homemade biscotti had survived the festivities. If I hadn't heard her telling the story of making them at home with her daughters, I would have assumed she'd bought these at a local bakery. Not only do they look perfect here alongside my morning coffee, I assure you they taste even better. I may never be satisfied with biscotti again if it isn't freshly made, what a huge difference from the rock hard store-bought variety.
Liz B's Anise Biscotti
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup brandy
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole almonds, toasted (can use purchased dry roasted, unsalted almonds)
3 tablespoons aniseed
1 cup chopped dried cranberries (optional)
1 cup dry roasted pistachios (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with foil or silicone baking mats. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine brandy, almond extract and vanilla extract in glass measuring cup. Add dry ingredients and brandy mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in almonds and aniseed. Can also add 1 cup chopped dried cranberries, 1 cup dry-roasted pistachios, and anything else your heart desires.
Drop dough by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, forming two 2-inch-wide, 13-inch-long strips on each sheet. Moisten fingertips and smooth dough into logs. Bake until golden and firm to touch, about 40 minutes. Transfer sheets to racks and cool 10-15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Transfer cooled logs to work surface and using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices. If they break too much, try different knives until you achieve success! Arrange slices on baking sheets.
Bake cookies until dry and slightly brown, turning every 10 minutes, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.)
