Dishin with Denise… Luscious Lemon Walnut Biscotti

Summertime, Summertime~Lemon time.  It’s not very often I get excited about sweets or desserts~ as creative cooking is my talent and true passion. Baking requires measurements, perfect timing, exact amounts, no improvising and real directions to ensure it turns out right. No room for error. With every good meal though this chef knows finishing off with a sweet or treat seems to delight. Remember it’s the encore to your meal and lingers on in memory.  I try to keep it real simple, especially during Summertime. My favorite ending is usually a refreshing classic Italian lemon ice with a mint sprig for a clean cool desert. Although dessert is the last course of your meal~lemon ice is a traditional palate cleanser by nature, customarily served in the middle of the meal to remove flavors from the palate so that the next course can be most enjoyed. I find it is just as refreshing at the end of the meal and may actually aide in digestion. I often make this from scratch and lots of fresh lemons… (But that’s another recipe~ I will share someday.) To simplify: Ralph’s Ice is really delicious. Served with the perfect accompaniment are my homemade~ lemon walnut biscotti~ just bursting with lemon flavor. To really impress serve the Italian lemon ice in a martini glass with the cookie a fresh grate of lemon rind and that clean bright summer mint sprig. No one ever leaves unhappy. And usually I’m begged to send a couple home with my guests to enjoy again with morning coffee!  

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 sticks of  unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 1/3 cups of sugar
3 Tablespoons of finely grated lemon peel
2 large eggs 
5 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice 
4 Cups chopped walnuts 
1 Large egg  beaten for glaze
Raw sugar or yellow colored sugar
Sprinkle of confectioners sugar if desired

Whisk flour, salt, baking powder and soda in bowl. 
Use electric mixer and beat in large bowl the butter, sugar, and lemon peel until well blended. Add the 2 eggs 1 at a time blending well after each. Add lemon juice and the flour mixture, stir in walnuts. Divide into 3 logs and wrap tight in plastic wrap. (form 8” long logs). Next flatten to 2 1/2” wide. Chill in refrigerator for 3 hrs. Set oven at 325 degrees. Line cookie pans with parchment paper. Brush logs with egg glaze. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for approx. 50 minutes. Lower oven to 300 degrees, remove logs and let cool. Use long serrated knife and cut logs crosswise into 1/3 inch slices. Now arrange cookies side down on baking sheet and rebake until golden around the edges approx 20 minutes. Refrigerate. Serve and Enjoy! Turn Lemons into Summer!   xoxo Denise