This recipe has been adapted from a dear friend of the family whose son is a Greek Orthodox priest. She would make them for her son each Lenten season and was kind enough to share her recipe. They are made from “Lenten approved” ingredients and are just delicious with coffee or tea.
Spiced Lenten Biscotti
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: About 100 biscotti
Ingredients:
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup brandy
- Zest of one orange
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tbsp. ground anise seed
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 5-6 cups all purpose flour
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. You will need two cookie or half sheet pans.
Beat the oil and sugar together until thoroughly mixed. Add orange juice, brandy, orange zest, baking soda, and spices. Mix well.
Gradually add flour and nuts to mixture and mix with a spatula until the dough leaves the side of the bowl but is not too sticky. The dough will be wet but should hold together.
Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface. Divide into four equal parts. Roll into 4 logs and transfer to non-greased cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.
Flatten each log into a rectangular loaf about 3 inches wide and approximately 3/4 inch thick. The thickness of the loaves should be uniform to allow for even cooking.
Using a sharp, serrated knife, make slices in the loaves that are approximately 1/2 inch deep and 1/2 inch apart. Do not slice all the way through.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow biscotti to cool slightly. With a serrated knife, slice the biscotti all the way through and turn slices on their side.
Return to the oven for toasting, about 5-10 minutes each side.
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