Chocolate Biscotti

With Easter just one week away, I find myself craving everything chocolate. These chocolate biscotti might just be the perfect the cookie. Chocolatey, crunchy, not too sweet and with the added bonus of becoming more delicious everyday. So they actually have the added bonus of giving you incentive not to eat them all at once. The flavor really does develop more deeply each day. Which also makes them the perfect cookie to send by mail. This works perfectly for me since this is my first Easter with an empty nest. As I write this I'm already planning my Easter care packages to ship to my little chicks away at school. 

It's difficult not to pine away for the days when a photo op with the
Easter bunny was something special.

I like to tumble my cookie batter onto a floured marble top before forming into loaves.

The trick to success is to cool the baked logs just enough to slice without breaking apart.

Baked biscotti, ready to be eaten, packed for shipping or stashed away
in the cookie jar for another day.

Chocolate Biscotti

Ingredients:

2c all purpose flour  

1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2/3c sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2c vegetable or canola oil 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/2 tsp almond extract

1c silvered almonds

zest of 1 orange

 

Topping:

1 egg white, lightly beaten

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4c sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large mixing bowl) beat the sugar and eggs until pale yellow. Add the oil, almond and vanilla extracts. 

3. Add the almonds and orange zest. Mix just until the dough begins to hold together and tumble onto a floured board.

4. Divide the dough in half and form into two logs. Place the logs on to the lined baking sheets, brush with the egg whites and sprinkle generously with topping. Bake for about 25 minutes or just until the tops of the logs are shiny and slightly cracked. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack to cool slightly.

6. Using a serrated knife, slice the logs into 1/2" diagonal slices. Place the slices back on the baking sheets and bake for about 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes, or just until toasted. Remove the cookies with a spatula cool on racks.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Biscotti will last for several weeks when stored in an airtight container.