ISO: Substitute for almond extract?

[KathrynY]

Thanks to all of your favorable reviews, I will be making the Chocolate-Cherry Biscotti from March '01 today. However I'm taking it to dinner at a friend's house and one of the guests has a severe allergy to nuts - so no almond extract. I tried foodsubs.com, MasterCook and searched this BB but couldn't come up with a substitution for almond extract - any thoughts? TIA!

P.S. I thought about subbing vanilla extract but the recipe already has 2 teaspoons and I thought another 1 1/2 teaspoons might be a bit much?

[BlueMoose]

I would probably just leave it out.

[makedah]

Ditto. Unless you think one of your fruity extracts would taste good in the batter, like lemon.

BTW -- I've never had "too much vanilla" in a recipe, and I tend to go overboard with the vanilla and to make matters worse(?) I buy double-strength from Penzey's.

[KathrynY]

Thanks, everyone for your help! I took your advice and used extra vanilla instead (makedah, I agree - no such thing as "too much vanilla" http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif ). The biscotti are cooling now, and they taste very good. This was my first try at biscotti and they weren't as hard to make as I'd thought - in fact they were pretty easy.

[LaraW]

I have had good luck substituting vanilla for almond extract. The lemon idea sounds good with the cherry flavor as well. Is there a such thing as cherry extract? If neither of those sound good to you, I would think you are OK leaving it out.

[Beth]

Don't try this without checking out further, but I think I read that artificial almond extract made with cherry pits. Anyone else heard or read that? Otherwise I would use lemon or leave it out.

[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 05-19-2001).]

[Curleytop]

I NEVER use Almond Extract. I also substitute with vanilla. I don't care for the fake almond taste. Love real almonds http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif
Besides, the price they charge in the supers is much to high. I do buy orange extract!