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There was a lot of talk about biscotti last week. Mary Therese Biebel, one of our features reporters, went beyond the call of duty to <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/features/498783/peggy-lovecchios-family-recipe-for-biscotti-is-a-favorite-tradition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hunt down an old biscotti recipe</a> that ran in the Times Leader years ago. When she tracked it down, through microfilm at the library, we decided it’d make a great contender for Test Kitchen.

I told my mom that I was giving it a try and she said, “that’s a hard recipe, good luck.” Some other people also voiced that sentiment, but how hard could it really be?

If by “hard” people meant “time consuming” than yes, it was very, very hard.

Mixing the ingredients of flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, butter, milk and chocolate chips was simple, but getting it to the right consistency took time. I ended up with enough dough for about eight discs. Each disc cooked for about 20 to 25 minutes, then an additional 9 minutes for toasting. My one baking sheet fit two to three discs at a time.

At first I had trouble forming my discs. I wasn’t sure how much dough to use per disc and I thought that the recommended 1/2 inch thick suggestion was not thick enough. Turns out the dough rises; a significant amount. I made two different sizes to see which would work better. There was dough leftover, so if one, or both discs failed on the first go-round, I’d still have enough to work with.

The first batch was way too thick and kind of raw in the center. I also tried to use a pizza cutter to get smooth slices. That was a bad idea. A long, sharp knife works best.

The second disc was the perfect size and thickness. I used the knife on this disc and the slices were looking good. While toasting though, they got a little too brown.

Discs three through eight were looking really nice. I even added some festive red and green sprinkles.

Word in the newsroom was that they tasted pretty great. I brought in about two dozen of the not-so-perfect looking ones (the perfect ones are for our office holiday party) and by the end of the day the container was empty.

Making biscotti wasn’t as hard as it was time consuming, so if you’ve got the time, go for it. The ingredients can be modified to suit your tastes so have a little fun and experiment.

The substitutions I made were butter instead of shortening, almond milk (which gave it a slight almond flavor) instead of regular milk and chocolate chips instead of anise seed.

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<img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti1-1.jpg" />
<div class="neCaption">Flour, butter, eggs, sugar, baking powder and milk are the main ingredients for biscotti. For some extra flavor use an extract, chocolate chips or something else that suits your tastes.</div>
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<div class="metaInfo">https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti1-1.jpgFlour, butter, eggs, sugar, baking powder and milk are the main ingredients for biscotti. For some extra flavor use an extract, chocolate chips or something else that suits your tastes. Photos by Sarah Haase | Times Leader</div>
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<img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti2-1.jpg" />
<div class="neCaption">Once the dough is kneaded, break off small pieces and form discs that are about a 1/2 inch thick.</div>
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<div class="metaInfo">https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti2-1.jpgOnce the dough is kneaded, break off small pieces and form discs that are about a 1/2 inch thick. Photos by Sarah Haase | Times Leader</div>
<div class="neFile">

<img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti3-1.jpg" />
<div class="neCaption">Once the dough is kneaded, break off small pieces and form discs that are about a 1/2 inch thick.</div>
</div>
<div class="metaInfo">https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti3-1.jpgOnce the dough is kneaded, break off small pieces and form discs that are about a 1/2 inch thick. Photos by Sarah Haase | Times Leader</div>
<div class="neFile">

<img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti4-1.jpg" />
<div class="neCaption">Cut the biscotti into strips then turn them on their sides for toasting. Three to 4 minutes on each side is enough. Keep an eye on them so they don’t get too brown.</div>
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<div class="metaInfo">https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti4-1.jpgCut the biscotti into strips then turn them on their sides for toasting. Three to 4 minutes on each side is enough. Keep an eye on them so they don’t get too brown. Photos by Sarah Haase | Times Leader</div>
<div class="neFile">

<img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti5-1.jpg" />
<div class="neCaption">Cut the biscotti into strips then turn them on their sides for toasting. Three to 4 minutes on each side is enough. Keep an eye on them so they don’t get too brown.</div>
</div>
<div class="metaInfo">https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_biscotti5-1.jpgCut the biscotti into strips then turn them on their sides for toasting. Three to 4 minutes on each side is enough. Keep an eye on them so they don’t get too brown. Photos by Sarah Haase | Times Leader</div>
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By Sarah Haase

shaase@www.timesleader.com

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<strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong>

4 cups flour

1/2 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup almond milk

3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

2 tablespoons baking powder

Red and green sprinkles for decoration

<strong>DIRECTIONS</strong>

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine ingredients and knead until a dough ball forms. You may need to add additional flour to keep the dough from sticking.

Once the dough is formed create disks that are about 1/2 an inch thick.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the disks from the oven and slice using a long, smooth knife. Place the slices on their sides for additional toasting, about 3-4 minutes.

Once all the sides have been toasted, let cool on a wire rack then serve.

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Do you have a holiday cookie recipe you want us to test? Send it in to ae@www.timesleader.com or mail it to A&amp;E Dept. 15 N. Main St. Wilkes-Barre 18701.

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Test Kitchen: An old biscotti recipe gets new life