Italian Anise Biscuit (Biscotti)

Italian anise biscotti are the traditional twice-baked cookie that’s been dunked in espresso at Italian breakfast tables for centuries. This version uses anise oil instead of anise extract, which is the technique nonna would insist on. The oil is far more concentrated and gives a cleaner, purer licorice flavor than alcohol-based extracts ever do. The recipe note is right: ask your pharmacist for it. Most drugstores still stock anise oil in their compounding section.

Toasting the whole almonds before adding them is non-negotiable. Untoasted almonds taste flat and lose their oils during the long double bake. Spread the cup of almonds on a sheet pan and toast for fifteen minutes before chopping or leaving whole, depending on your preference for cookie texture.

The dough is famously sticky, almost soupy, and the recipe note offers the smart workaround: dust the cookie sheet with flour, pour the dough directly onto the pan, shape into a long loaf, brush off the excess flour, and bake. No floured surface to fight with, no transferring sticky dough between work surfaces.

The two-bake technique is what makes biscotti dunkable. The first bake sets the loaf, the slicing exposes the inside, and the second bake dries the slices into the crisp, hard cookie that holds up to a soak in coffee without falling apart.

Pro Tips

• Pharmacy anise oil is potent. Three drops is the right dose. Don’t be tempted to add more.
• Slice the cooled loaf with a serrated bread knife in a sawing motion. Pressing crumbles the cookies.
• Cut the slices three-quarters of an inch thick. Thinner slices burn during the second bake.
• Store airtight for up to two weeks. They actually improve as they dry further.

Variations

• Use hazelnuts or walnuts instead of almonds as the recipe note suggests.
• Dip half each cooled cookie in melted dark chocolate and chill until firm.
• Add a teaspoon of orange zest along with the anise for a citrus-licorice combination.
• Skip the anise oil and substitute fennel seeds for a more rustic Italian flavor.