Anise-Almond Biscotti

Makes about 32 cookies

Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds
1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
½ cup sesame seeds

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.
Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separate bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.
Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.