Wilma Reiva LaSasso’s Paletta di Mandorla (Almond Slices)

Yield: 50 slices

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs

4 cups flour

2 cups almonds, whole, finely chopped or 4 cups almonds, ground

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs. Add the other ingredients and knead until smooth. Form two oval-shaped rolls, about 1- inch thick.

Bake in the oven at 375˚  for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.When cool, cut into slices 3/4 of an inch thick and toast in the oven for 3 minutes.

Got a really sweet tooth? You can add additional flavor to the biscotti – and emphasize the connection to St. Francis – by dipping half of each treat into dark chocolate and drizzling white chocolate on top to create the appearance of a Franciscan sandal.

Double-Chocolate Coating

Yield: Enough to coat 36 biscotti

6 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ounces white chocolate

Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until nearly melted. Then, remove and stir until fully melted. Dip half of each biscotti in chocolate, and then let dry on a cooking rack. Melt white chocolate in a microwave – see directions above – and place in a plastic freezer bag with a tiny piece of the corner cut off. Drizzle white chocolate in a crisscross pattern over the bittersweet chocolate, simulating the appearance of a sandal.