Tea Scented Biscotti

4 orange-spiced tea bags
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Remove tea from tea bags and place it in a blender or coffee grinder; grind until fine.  Set ground tea aside.  Lightly grease a very large cookie sheet and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking powder and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Beat in the ground tea and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour and the almonds.  cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Divide dough into thirds.  Shape each portion into an 8 inch long loaf.  Place loaves at least 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.  Flatten each loaf until about 2 inches wide.

Bake 20 minutes or just until bottoms and edges are golden (loaves will spread slightly).  Cool completely on cookie sheet on a wire rack.  Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

Transfer loaves to a cutting board.  Using a serrated knife, cut loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch slices.  Place slices, cut sides down, on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Turn slices over.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes more or until slices are dry and crisp.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.