Italian Anise Biscotti

From the garden

• 1½ tbsp anise seed, toasted in a dry pan 1 minute, then lightly crushed · use 2 tablespoons if you like it bold

From the pantry

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, zested (optional) · zest only

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and crushed anise seed together in a bowl.
2. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thick, about 2 minutes, then whisk in the melted butter, vanilla, and lemon zest if using.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until no dry streaks remain. The dough is soft and sticky; wet your hands and divide it in half on the pan, shaping each half into a log about 12 inches long and 2.5 inches wide, with 3 inches between them.
4. Bake 25 minutes, until the logs are pale gold, firm to the touch, and cracked a little on top. Slide the parchment onto a rack and cool 10 minutes; if you cut them piping hot they crumble, and if you let them cool fully they shatter.
5. Lower the oven to 300°F. With a serrated knife, slice each log on a slight diagonal into 0.75-inch cookies. Lay them cut side down on the pan and bake 10 minutes, flip, and bake 8–10 minutes more until dry and lightly golden on both faces.
6. Cool completely on a rack. They crisp as they cool and are meant to be hard: dunk them in coffee, milk, or sweet wine.