Recipe: My Mom's Holiday Cookies

This post is sponsored by La Crema Winery.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has made some of the best holiday cookies--these delicious shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate and dusted with nuts (she always used a half-moon cookie cutter that I absolutely loved as a kid); some walnut balls dusted in powdered sugar; and, last but certainly not least, some simple but oh-so-delicious biscotti.

I'm super excited to be partnering with La Crema Winery again--I shared the recipe for those first two cookies I just mentioned on their blog right here! And you can keep reading for the biscotti:

Mom's Holiday Biscotti

Ingredients:

Half a stick of butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon anise seeds
1 teaspoon anise extract
1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, cream together the eggs and sugar. Add melted butter and mix to combine.
Add the sifted flour and baking powder and mix gently to combine--batter will be thick. Add the anise seeds and extract as well as the chopped nuts if you want them. Use your hands to combine batter and pat it into a nice ball of dough.
Cover the bowl and transfer to freezer for about half an hour, or until it's less runny and easier to handle.
Preheat oven to 350. Roll the dough into two "ropes" the length of the cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, cut diagonally, loosen gently with the spatula, and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with coffee, tea, or a glass of wine--it is the holidays, after all.