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.