Ms. J. asked me for the recipe for my biscotti (aka cantucci, or mandlebrot), and I gave it to her, but somehow I have what she wrote down sitting next to me here by my computer, so here it is again. It is the best recipe I have ever known for biscotti. The truth is, all cookies in Italy are called biscotti. In Tuscany, these are called cantucci, and you wouldn’t put the raisins in them, and the recipe would be slightly different, but I like these the best. You want the batter to be thick enough to form into the logs, but not super stiff like a gingerbread.

2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
pinch of cinnamon
Mix these together.

5 Tablespoons of canola oil
4 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Mix these together, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add about a 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of whole almonds with their skins. Form the dough into three logs on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until set, or for about 20 minutes. You want no squishiness in the middle. Cool slightly. Slice into 1/2 inch slices, turn the slices onto their flat side, sprinkle with granulated sugar, and bake again for another 5 or 10 minutes until they are going golden on the bottom. They will continue to harden when they come out of the oven.