An aromatic semi-sweet biscotti with almond, vanilla, and chestnut flavors, baked to a light dry texture

1 + 1/2 cups fresh drinking water
2 tablespoons (dry) chestnut flavored black tea [2]
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons double-strength vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons almond extract
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1. Bring water to a near-boil. Pour one cup of the hot water into a heat-safe measuring container (I use a glass measuring cup) and allow to stand for several minutes until measuring container is hot. Discard the cup of hot water.

2. Measure 2 tablespoons of (dry) chestnut tea leaves into the pre-heated measuring cup. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of freshly heated water. Allow tea to brew for 3 minutes; strain*. The result should be approximately 1/4 cup of strong tea.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, and tea. Add eggs and extracts and stir gently until completely mixed.

4. Add 4 cups of the flour, the salt, baking powder, and the almonds. Mix into a thick batter, adding the rest of the flour as needed. Batter should be very thick but still able to be stirred.

5. Grease two 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pans or cookie sheets. Spread half of the batter on each sheet: begin by using your mixing spoon to spread the batter in a 3 or 4-inch wide strip the length of the cookie sheet. Continue adding batter, on the strip, making a mound of batter about 2 inches high and 4 or 5 inches wide, running the length of the sheet (about 14 inches).

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until top seems dry and edges are browned. Rotate sheets half way through baking.

7. After baked, remove from oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Allow loaves to cool on the sheets for about 10 minutes. Remove loaves, one at a time, to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, gently slice loaves into 3/4-inch slices. Place slices, cut side down, back onto the sheets.

8. Return sheets to the oven and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until dry, turning pieces once midway through baking. Biscotti should be lightly browned and rather dry. Remove from sheets to wire racks and allow to completely cool for a crunchy, dry biscotti.

*I usually save the tea leaves to make some weaker tea to drink later; otherwise, discard the used tea leaves.

I created this recipe for Adagio Tea's Tea Chef contest [3], December '06.

I created this biscotti to enter into the Adagio Tea Chef contest [4].

When I envisioned this biscotti, I wanted a classic biscotti texture, nuts sprinkled throughout, and a highly fragrant aroma.

I couldn't be more pleased with the results of my experimentation! This tastes exactly as I had hoped, and the flavors of almond, vanilla, and chestnut combine for a soft, flavorful biscotti.

In short, this is really, really tasty! Joshua was very impressed and said it tasted like gourmet biscotti. I'm just delighted that I was actually able to create the biscotti I wanted. It's not too sweet, but perfect for serving with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.

My rating: 10/10