Toast the anise seeds lightly in a small dry skillet over low heat, stirring constantly until fragrant. Cool and grind in a spice grinder or other small grinder until fine.
Place the toasted almonds into a food processor and pulse into medium fine meal.
Next,
whisk, measure and sift together the remaining dry ingredients. Add the chopped almonds and ground anise seeds to the bowl and whisk to mix and aerate.
Whisk the oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extracts in a small bowl until emulsified. Pour into the dry mixture and stir with a silicone spatula until soft dough forms and no traces of flour remain. A small piece of dough should hold together when squeezed. It will be sticky and look wet. Press the dough together with the spatula, cover refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight before shaping.
To shape the biscotti logs, divide the dough in half using a knife or bench scraper. Dust a piece of parchment paper with some of the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.Turn one piece of the dough out onto the sugar-coated parchment paper. Pat and push the dough into a log shape. Turn the dough over and repeat rolling, pressing and squeezing until the log is approximately 14-inches long by 1 1/2- inches thick. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
Enclose each log in a sheet of parchment (or plastic wrap) and press the dough a bit flatter, eliminating any cracks. Refrigerate for one hour before baking. At this point, the logs can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap the logs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until firm and dry. The biscotti does not brown. Cool the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then slide the logs, still on the parchment, off the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely. To insure neat and even slicing, wrap the logs and refrigerate or freeze for about 15 minutes or until well-chilled.
Letting the biscotti logs cool slightly is essential to prevent the biscotti from compressing together when cut. If cut too soon,the slices will not be neat and clean.. It is important that you do not wait too long before cutting as the dough will start to harden, making it difficult to cut.
Unwrap the logs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until firm and dry. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then, slide the logs, still on the parchment, off the baking sheet and onto a wire rack to cool. To insure neat and even slicing, wrap the logs and refrigerate or freeze for about 15 minutes or until well-chilled.
