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I read Eat, Pray, Love several years ago while I was vacationing in Taiwan. It was a wonderful memoir that I truly enjoyed, and like many other fans, my favorite section was the one about Italy. Who doesn’t love the idea of reveling in a nation that is known for its pursuit of pleasures?

Unfortunately, I’ve never been to Italy. And although I’m looking forward to savoring Naples pizza, marveling over the mesmerizing architecture and indulging in decadent gelato someday (hopefully soon), I’ll take homemade biscotti any time, any day.

Biscotti

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup applesauce*
• 1 cup white sugar*
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 Tbs. almond extract, 1/2 Tbs. vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar and anise flavoring until well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. Divide dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your cookie sheet. Place roll onto the prepared cookie sheet, and press down to 1/2 inch thickness.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. When The cookies are cool enough to handle, slice each one crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes on each side. Slices should be lightly toasted.

Note: You may be tempted to add more flour once you start rolling the dough–don’t. You may flour your kitchen surface or hands to avoid sticky flour syndrome, but try not to add anymore flour into the actual dough.

* I substituted half of the oil with applesauce. It’s undetectable and does not affect texture.
** I used a no-calorie sweetener substitute. It turns out well.

The cookies are slightly sweet, with a subtle almond fragrance that goes well with coffees and teas. You may also drizzle with chocolate and garnish with crushed nuts (see photo above), if you prefer.