Biscotti are ridiculously easy to make, but for years mine were tough and hard. Then, I found this recipe. The dough seems very loose and gloppy, just sags on the cookie sheet, but the final product is crisp and lighter.

Anisette Biscotti

3/4 cup oil
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla or almond extract
1/4 cup anisette (or other liqueur)
4 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
4 cups flour
3/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts (pistachios, almonds, walnuts, etc.)
(Anise seeds)

Bowl 1: combine oil and sugar. Bowl 2: Beat the eggs, add the flavorings, and then in the baking powder and salt. Bowl 3, large: Put the flour in this bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the liquid and stir to incorporate. Add the nuts at some point. On a greased sheet pan with sides form three loaves and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove to a rack and slice into 1/2 inch slices, then return to the oven until toasted, turning over to toast the other side. You could turn the oven down to 300 degrees for this, but I got tired of waiting and turned it back to 350. So it was something like 10 minutes at 300 and 10 minutes at 350.

This next one is what I am baking this morning. I added a slug of anisette to it, and it was still pretty firm, so we'll just see how it comes out. It's from Gourmet magazine. Lah-di-dah, but still they have good recipes. Especially the older issues when they weren't striving so hard to be exotic, or as they put it: diverse.

Cranberry Orange Walnut Biscotti

1/2 navel orange
(1/8 - 1/4 cup anisette or other liqueur)
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups dried sweetened cranberries, about 7 ounces
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a large baking sheet. Cut orange half into chunks (including peel and discarding any seeds) and in a food processor puree until smooth. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together eggs and sugar until light and creamy. Add 1/2 cup orange puree and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. By hand, add butter, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir until just combined. Stir in cranberries and walnuts until combined well. On the baking sheet, roughly shape dough into 3 long mounds. With wet hands pat and form into three slightly flat 12 inch logs, each about 2 1/2 inch wide. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden. Cool logs on the sheet on a rack for 10 to 18 minutes and transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on 2 baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to racks and cool. Keep in an airtight container for 1 week, or freeze in sealable plastic bags for 4 months.