Green Tea Biscotti

Having caught a nasty virus in the office and being inflicted with haze-induced asthma, I've been down and out these couple of days and unable to bake or post. So, I'm going to cheat a little with this post.... I baked these green tea biscotti a long way back.

There are some things better store-bought -- macarons, for example. You can enjoy lots of flavors while leaving the labor to somebody else. Having failed at macaron making twice, it's something I've given up on for now and would rather pay for. On the other hand, some things are better home-made -- this is the case for biscotti. I detest rock-hard packaged biscotti from the super market. They can seriously make your teeth fall out. But bake your biscotti at home, and you can control just how much crunch you'd like.

Green Tea (Matcha) Biscotti
Adapted from a cozy kitchen

Notes: 

I prefer to bake my biscotti on the soft-side. Take note that they do harden over time though.
Yields about 12 biscotti
They taste great with some soy milk, promise.

Ingredients:
    •    1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    •    1/2 cup granulated sugar
    •    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    •    1 1/2 tablespoon matcha powder
    •    1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
    •    2 large eggs
    •    2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
    •    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    •    1/4 cup slivered almonds
    •    1 egg white
    •    1 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar 

Method:
    •    Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
    •    Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
    •    In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, matcha, and salt.
    •    In another medium bowl, beat the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.
    •    Add the flour mixture little by little, stirring until the dough comes together. It should be moist but not too sticky.
    •    Stir in the almonds
    •    Knead the dough gently 5-6 times.
    •    With floured hands, form the dough into a log and place on the baking sheet.
    •    Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the log with egg white and then sprinkle generously with the turbinado sugar.
    •    Bake about 22-25 minutes.
    •    Remove the log from the oven and let it cool (about 30 minutes). Then, transfer it onto a cutting board and slice diagonal 1/2 inch slices with a serrated bread knife.
    •    Lay the slices down on a cookie sheet and bake 10-15 minutes (adjust to your preference of crunch). Turn the cookies over and bake the other side for 10-15 minutes as well.
    •    Cool biscotti on wire rack.