Every year our church’s women’s club hosts a much-anticipated event, the “Nativity Tea.” It is our biggest fundraiser of the year and is always a sell-out!
The hall is beautifully decorated, and nativity sets (Creche) from around the world (of which many have a story) are on display. Each year, much to the delight of our guests, a different program is featured. Raffle tickets can be purchased for amazing gift baskets and there is a silent auction as well. We serve a variety of cookies and tea sandwiches to accompany the tea and offer a glass (or two) of sherry or sparkling cider. This is a fantastic, fun event and is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.
To accommodate those with nut allergies, all the cookies and tea sandwiches are “nut-free.” Since the majority of the cookies I make, contain nuts of some kind, such as Vanilla Pecan and Pistachio & Candied Orange), I came up with a nut-free Holiday Eggnog Biscotti. Delicious and a perfect pairing with a cup of tea.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup eggnog
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until blended, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in eggnog and vanilla.
- In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt). Gradually, beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour, or overnight. The dough will be a bit sticky, and chilling makes it easier to form into logs.
- On a parchment-lined cookie sheet, take half the dough and shape into two logs (12-in.x 2-in.) Flatten slightly. (For a visual look at the technique involved for making these or any other kind of biscotti, refer to the Anise Biscotti recipe).
- Bake in preheated 350* oven on the middle rack 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Remove and cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes. Carefully place log on cutting board and using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange close together back on cookie sheet, bake for an additional 15 minutes until barely golden.
- Repeat with the other half of dough. Let cool completely, I leave them on the cooling racks overnight before storing them in tins (not plastic containers). Each batch makes approximately 4 dozen, depending on how you slice them.
