CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cherries (I used Craisins)
1 oz. semisweet chocolate

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. (I line my pan with parchment paper.)

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture until well combined. The dough will be fairly stiff. Stir in the cherries or Craisins by hand and knead dough a few times to combine all.
Sprinkle work surface lightly with flour and turn dough onto surface. Divide in half. Roll each half into a long cylinder about 14″ long by 1 1/2″ wide. Place side by side on baking sheet and bake until firm and a toothpick inserted into center of each log comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Slide out onto a cutting board and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. With a serrated knife, slice each log crosswise into about 30 (1/2″) slices. Place slices onto baking sheet and bake until fairly dry, about 10 minutes on each side. Cool completely on wire rack.

Place semisweet chocolate into a small microwavable bowl and microwave on High, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer chocolate to a small zip-lock plastic bag. Cut off a tiny corner of the bag and drizzle chocolate over cookies. Allow to harden before serving.

Notes: The logs may crack during the first baking. That’s OK. And when you slice the logs, some of the slices will break apart at the ends. I just pinched them back together or left them as-is. Apparently, this is a natural consequence of biscotti-making. As I bake more recipes, I’ll get back to you on this. Also, my chocolate didn’t become thin enough to drizzle lightly over the biscotti, so I used more and made fatter drizzles. What’s not to love?

Makes: about 60 cookies