Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Bringing a new life into your family is cause for celebration. It changes your life, expands your world, and deepens the relationship with your spouse in ways you didn't expect. For me and my husband, it's been a new puppy. Rika is 6 months old now and she's brought so much sunshine, walks, ball throwing, and squeaking toy noises into our lives already. And although she's not human, there are still many decisions and challenges in keeping a puppy safe, and raising a her to become a dog that will be a great companion to us, and hopefully work and play well with others.
But it hasn't all been sunshine and happiness. Myles and I have argued over using a leash to take her to the completely enclosed back yard to "do her business" (I was finally won over to the "always use a leash camp" after many, many holes dug in the back yard); whether she ever sleeps on the bed (Yes, Yes, Yes!), and where to board her when we travel. But as strange as it may seem to some, sharing a love for this puppy has also brought us closer. We've high-fived it when she's peed AND pooped before we all head to bed, and bonded over puppy training classes. It's such a ridiculous feeling when two grown adults can't get a 12 pound puppy to stay in their arms and stop whining and yipping, but there's such comfort in knowing you're in this together. That one picks up the slack for the other, and shares genuine joy when there's no more accidents in the house. And when people exclaim how cute she is, we're so pleased you'd think she carries our genes.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Nut-Free Anise Biscotti with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 ounces sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
- ยฝ teaspoon anise extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground anise seeds
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
- Using a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed - about 5 minutes. Add the Grand Marnier and anise extract, and continue to mix until completely incorporated, about 3 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and anise powder in a small bowl to evenly distribute the baking powder through the flour. Fold into the batter on the lowest speed just until barely mixed in.
- Fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula.
- Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and form into a log about 2-3" in diameter and about 15" long.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes - or until the chocolate chips begin to harden up a bit. Slice ยพ" slices with a serrated knife, cleaning the knife after every slice to avoid smearing the chocolate chips.
- Lay the slices back on the cookie sheet and slide back into the oven for a final baking. Bake for 10 minutes per side until lightly toasted.
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
I've never actually worked with anise before. Your biscotti are beautiful, with those chocolate chips! I'll take these with a warm cup of hot chocolate please. Thank you for joining me in celebrating Tara.
Renee
Lovely biscotti and oh how I know what it is like to get a puppy. I can relate to everything you wrote.
lizthechef
How about a picture of Rika ?!
Camilla @ Culinary Adventures
How beautiful! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
SallyBR
Love the flavors in these biscotti, anise seeds, the Grand Marnier, spectacular indeed!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Fantastic recipe...adore anise. I think these would go well with my water. ๐ Wonderful to be at the "party" with you!
Tara
Thank you so much! Such beautiful biscotti! I love the addition of Grand Marnier
Lynsey @ Lynsey Lou's
Love the flavors in your biscotti, it sounds oh-so-good!
Rebekah @ Making Miracles
Aww congrats on your sweet wiggly puppy!! And this is a beautiful biscotti - love the chocolate chips!
Suzanne
Congratulations to Tara and to you and Myles also on the milestone 6 month mark with sweet Rika. Puppies are so full of life and love, when I see a puppy I can't help but smile. Your biscotti look delicious Susan. Its been a while since I've made them and they are such a wonderful treat with coffee or tea.
Kelster
I just bought and used anise for the first time. Loved it. I'll be saving this recipe to use really soon.
Amy | Amy's Cooking Adventures
Ooohhh! These look delicious!
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories
Cute story Susan! Your biscotti looks tasty!
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee
These remind me of biscottis that my grandfather used to get in NJ. Love that anise flavor
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
Susan, I adore anise and biscotti both, but I've never paired anise flavor with chocolate. I'll have to try it. And what a lovely reason to bake - a virtual shower is almost as good as a biscotti party in person:)