3 cups Flour
2-1/2 teaspoons Baking powder
1/8 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Ground anise or
3/4 teaspoon Anise extract
2/3 cup Unsalted butter; softened
1 cup Sugar
3 Eggs
2 teaspoons Finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon Lemon extract
2/3 cup Whole sun-dried cranberries
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and ground anise; set aside. Beat butter and sugar until the mixture is well blended. Add eggs, lemon zest and lemon extract. Beat in half the dry mixture and stir in the remaining half by hand. Add cranberries. This dough should look like classic cookie dough.
Divide the dough in half and spoon each half into a log-like shape onto a 15 inch length of waxed paper. Roll each into an 11 inch log so that all the dough is enclosed in waxed paper. Chill the logs in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Unroll the logs carefully onto greased cookie sheets. Press down to flatten into 11 x 3 inch rectangles that are about 1 inch thick.
Bake at 375 F. for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes, then slice the logs crosswise. There’s no need to turn the slices on their side, unless the bottom of the slices appears to be overbrowned. Gently separate the slices and return the cookie sheets to a 300 F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes. If they still appear very soft in the middle, turn the cookies on their sides and return the biscotti to a turned-off oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool completely.
Yield: 44 4 inch biscotti