Linzer Biscotti
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cognac
Grated zest of one lemon (organic preferred)
1 cup ground walnuts (you can also use hazelnuts)
2 cups toasted slivered almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons cocoa
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups raspberry preserves, mixed with 1 tablespoon eau-de-vie de framboise
1 1/4 cups apricot preserves, mixed with 1 tablespoon apricot liquer or Grand Marnier
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Add vanilla, cognac and lemon zest, and blend together. Mix in the nuts, spices, cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder, and blend well. You should have a soft, sticky dough. Divide the dough into 4 sections, and chill for at least 45 minutes.
Taking one section, divide it in half, and make a long sausage shape. Use wet hands rather than floured ones to work with the dough; keep a bowl of cold water handy. Pat the dough out flat on your baking sheet, and make a trench in the middle. Fill the trench with 1/2 cup of either the raspberry or the apricot preserve. Pat the other half of your dough section into a flattened long oval to match the shape that's already filled on the cookie sheet. Lay it carefully over the jam-filled section, and pat together with wet hands. Try to make sure that the jam is completely covered, and none is peeking through. Repeat with the three other dough sections, dividing each in half, filling with jam, and patting dough over the top to create a long oval loaf. The dough will crack somewhat during baking, and some jam may ooze out, but it doesn't matter -- the jam will help to keep the slices together. You should have about 1/4 cup of each flavor of jam left. You may need this later.
Bake loaves until set, 35 - 45 minutes. Let loaves cool for about 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 F. Cut loaves into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Glue together any slices that fall apart with extra jam, and fill in any large gaps in the middle of the biscotti slices with more jam. Bake again, just to dry out, 15 - 20 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your biscotti).
These keep in a covered airtight tin for several weeks.