Light, crunchy and mildly sweet, Lemon Vanilla Biscotti (see recipe below) was the perfect accompaniment to an evening of sampling Port Wines, Sherries, Madeira and Muscat.

Lesson 8 in the wine appreciation course we’ve been taking this summer focused on fortified wines – ruby Port, tawny Port, fino Sherry, Amontillado, Madeira and Muscat. We wanted something sweet but not overly so to finish an evening that began with roasted wild grouse, squash risotto, Brussels sprouts and the sweet wines.

Baked three times, biscotti has a satisfying crunch. This lemon vanilla version could be drizzled with icing, but we enjoyed ours unadorned. 

Although served on a warm Alaskan June evening, the meal took us to visions of late fall evenings and Autumn-colored forests where wild grouse thrive. The grouse and the squash risotto (one of the best we’ve ever enjoyed) were courtesy of our friends Bix and Krystin at Alaskagraphy.

Lemon Vanilla Biscotti

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1  1/2 tsp lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Whisk eggs, vanilla and zest in a medium bowl.
5. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir until combined.
6. Scrape dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. With floured hands, shape dough into a flat rectangle (about 10 in. x 5 in.).
8. Bake for 50 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
10. Slice into 1/2 inch long pieces with a serrated knife.
11. Lay the slices on their side and bake again for 15 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and flip the biscotti to the opposite side and bake for 15 more minutes.
13. Cookies should be lightly golden and crunchy on each side.