* SICILIAN EGG IN A BASKET SOME CALL BISCOTTI OR PASTARIA EASTER COOKIES GRANDMA SIDOTI (#42)

      This recipe is a traditional Easter cookie especially with Sicilians like my mother Mary (Sidoti) and my grandmother Conchetta and grandfather Francesco.  My mother was born in Cleveland but my grandmother was born in Sicily in the town of Santa Agatha di Militelo and my grandfather also was born Sicily  in the town of  Patti on the North coast.  Both cities are in the provence of  Messina.  I can't remember any Easter that my mother didn't make these cookies. The pronounciation in Italian sounds more like Pastadia.  The eggs are colored but not boiled.  They are put on the cookie and baked.  I hope you enjoy this cookie.
Some hints are not to put the finished cookies in a plastic bag as it will taste stale and spongy; they are usually put into cardboard boxes left over from Christmas.  They will get hard which is probably why my grandfather used to dunk them in red wine. I only like them with the simple frosting and sprinkles on them.
ENJOY

INGREDIENTS:
     5 lbs of all purpose flour
     2 cups of granulated sugar
     8 eggs
     2 1/2 cups of whole milk
     2 1/2 to 3 cups shortening
     6 tabs baking powder
     2 tab pure vanila
     2 tab anise extract (optional)
     1/4 to 1/3 cup anise seed
      a bottle of colored sprinkles to
      put on them after the glaze is put
      on them and before it gets hard
      so it sticks
     
DIRECTIONS:
     pre heat oven 350 degrees
     1. blend sugar,shortening and eggs in a lg bowl
     2. mix flour and baking powder and add flour slowly
         to shortening
     3. add milk a little at a time until incorporated
     4. add rest of ingredients and mix into dough
         until incorporated 
     5. dough should not be too dry or too sticky
     6. roll dough to the size of a broom handle
     7. cookies can be cut (1 1/2 to 2 inches) on an
         angle and put on a cookie sheet but not too close to each
         other ( no need to grease the pan due to the amount of
         shortening in the dough--won't stick)
        
     8  INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE AN EGG IN A BASKET
           1. color as many eggs as the amount of  Easter
               Baskets you want to make
           2.. cut a length of dough the thickness of  a
               broom handle; for a single basket cut a length
               about 6 inches; put a slit down the middle about
               2 inches in length and place an egg in the hole
          3.  roll a length of dough the thickness of a pencil
               and place around the egg.
          4.  you may wish to make a cross on the top of the
               egg touching all 4 sides around the egg
          5.  make cuts at each end of the cookie to fan out
               the ends of the dough
          6.  place egg baskets on a cookie sheet; again not
               too close to each other (no need to grease the pan
               due to the amount of shortening in the dough; (won't stick)
          7. bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes

GLAZE FOR COOKIES:
          INGREDIENTS:
            16 oz of powdered sugar
            1 container of colored sprinkles
            1 tsp of pure vanila
            enough water to mix with the sugar until the color
            is consistency of milky white translucent color
            (not too thin or too thick)
DIRECTIONS:
          1. mix sugar and water until the mixture is milky white
             the consistency of light cream
          2. using a pastry brush, brush mixture rather thick
              on the cookies
          3. use the sprinkles immediately so they stick to the
              frosting.  ENJOY!

OPTIONS: 1. if you don't like anise you can substitute 2 to
                      3 tab of lemon extract
                   2. instead of  glazing the cookies you can
                       roll out each cookie with each end pointed
                       and sprinkle the top with water and roll in
                       sesame seeds