Place the anise seed in a small dry skillet over low heat. Toast, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or until lightly colored and very fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool, place in a spice grinder or other small grinder and process until very fine. Note that the flavor of anise is quite strong in these biscotti — adjust as desired.
Place the toasted almonds in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process into a medium-fine meal.
*Note: For the gluten-free flour you can either make your own or you can use a store-bought brand, such as Bobs Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. If the gluten-free baking mix you use does not contain xanthan or guar gum, whisk 3/4 tsp of either one into the flour.
Whisk, measure and sift together the flour, sugar and salt together into a medium mixing bowl. Add the reserved ground anise seeds and ground almonds, whisking to mix and aerate.
Place the oil into a small mixing bowl. Add the maple syrup along with the vanilla and almond extracts,whisking until emulsified. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir with a silicone spatula until a soft dough forms and no traces of flour remain. A small piece of dough should hold together when squeezed. Press the dough together with the spatula and set aside to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
To shape the biscotti logs, divide the dough in half using a knife or bench scraper. Dust a sheet 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. 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 x 1 1/2-inches thick. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
Enclose each log in a clean sheet of parchment paper (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. Remove from the oven and place the sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, slide the logs, still on the parchment, off the pan and onto a wire rack to cool. To insure neat and even slicing, wrap the logs in plastic wrap 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 the dough is not chilled, the slices will not be neat and clean.It is also important that you do not wait too long as the dough will start to harden and be difficult to cut.
