| MANGIA BENE PASTA |
| (makes about 36) |
| 3/4 cup sugar |
| 2 eggs |
| 1/4 cup vegetable oil |
| 1 TB. orange juice |
| 2 tsp. grated orange zest |
| 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla |
| 2 cups flour |
| 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts |
| 1 tsp. baking powder |
| 1/4 tsp. salt |
| 1 cup dried cherries |
| 1 egg white |
| 1 TB. water |
| 1 TB. sugar |
| Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease a baking sheet. |
| In a large mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar and eggs with an electric mixer. |
| Beat 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and pale yellow in color. |
| Add oil, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Beat to combine. |
| Add flour, walnuts, baking powder, and salt. |
| Mix on low speed, 1-2 minutes, or until well mixed. |
| Stir in cherries with a wooden spoon. |
| Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. The dough will be soft and sticky. |
| If it is too sticky to work with add 1-2 TB of flour and knead it into the dough. |
| Shape dough into two logs, about 8x3-inches. Flatten the tops slightly. |
| Place about 4-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. |
| Combine the egg white with 1 TB. water and brush the mixture over the logs. |
| Sprinkle with the remaining TB. of sugar. |
| Bake for 25-30 minutes until light brown and firm to the touch. |
| Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 15 minutes. |
| Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. |
| Transfer logs to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices with a bread knife. |
| Arrange the slices on the baking sheet. |
| Bake 10 minutes, turn the slices, and bake another 10 minutes, or until golden brown. |
| Remove the biscotti to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. |
| Biscotti may be stored in an air-tight container for 1-2 weeks. |
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| CHERRY BISCOTTI |
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