6 eggs
3 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon Magic baking powder
1 teaspoon powdered vanilla
16 oz peeled and roasted almonds
16 oz peeled hazelnuts
16 oz peeled walnuts
4 cups of flour

For rolling biscotti logs (prior to baking)
Icing sugar

Mrs. Calabrese's recipe in Italian
6 uove
3 tazze di zucchero
1 tsp Magic
1 tsp vanilla a polvere
16 oz mandorle arrostite e spelate
16 oz noccioline spelate
16 oz noce (grenoble)
4 tazze di farine

Rotolare con zucchero a polvere

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Beat eggs.

Add sugar, powdered vanilla.

Add flour and magic baking powder.

Mix in nuts.

Shape into very thin logs -- 1 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch high.

Roll logs in icing sugar.

Place logs on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake until ready (about 20 minutes).

Remove from oven and immediately cut the logs into thin slices (about 1/2 inch thick).

Cool.

Serve at room temperature.





Mrs. Calabrese's instructions in Italian (original text)

Rotolare con Zucchero a polvere

Forno a 350 degrees

Tagliare filone quando calde

Nowadays, in the culinary world, both in Italy and in North America, the word, "biscotti" only refers to "twice-baked" cookies. However, prior to World War II Italians, especially those living in the Southern Italian countryside, used the word, "biscotti," to describe almost any kind of cookie, from taralli to macaroons. Basically, the word, "biscotti" was a generic no-name kind of term for cookie or biscuit. Not only do recipes change over time, but so do their names. So it's no surprise North Americans of Italian origin have so much trouble trying to figure out which recipes are regional classics and which aren't (I know I do).... In any case, if these biscotti come out the way they're supposed to, they're probably the best-tasting Tuscan-style biscotti one can ever have the pleasure of eating. Certainly, the ones that Mrs. Calabrese baked and which were quickly devoured by the lady who took the photo attached to this entry were The best she ever had. The secret of this recipe is possibly the lovely combination of roasted almonds with hazelnuts and walnuts, as well as the use of powdered vanilla which is less over-powering than its liquid counterpart.... P.S. Mrs. Calabrese was born in Campania (close to Naples). She has been doing this biscotti recipe for dozens of years, but it is hard to say if the recipe originated from Campania or not. Photo: Mary Melfi.

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