CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT BISCOTTI RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in the butter or margarine until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon beaten eggs into a cup; reserve. Add chocolate chips, walnuts, vanilla, and remaining beaten eggs to flour mixture; stir until evenly moistened. With hand, knead mixture a few times in bowl until dough forms.
• On floured surface, with floured hands, divide dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a 9" by 2" log. Place logs crosswise, 4 inches apart, on 2 large cookie sheets. With a pastry brush, brush tops and sides of logs with reserved egg. Bake logs 25 minutes. Cool logs on cookie sheets on wire rack 10 minutes.
• Place 1 log on cutting board. With serrated knife, cut warm log crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Place slices upright, 1/4-inch apart, on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining logs. Bake slices 15 minutes to allow biscotti to dry out. Cool completely on sheets on wire racks. (Biscotti will harden as they cool.) Store biscotti in tightly covered container.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (waxed paper will not work, it will smoke.).
• In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the chocolate and sugar and grind until the chocolate is very fine. Set aside.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl combine the eggs and the vanilla. Beat at medium speed to blend.
• Reduce the speed to low, add the chocolate and flour mixtures and mix until a stiff dough forms, adding the walnuts when about half mixed.
• Transfer the dough to a floured surface and gather it together. Divide in half. Form each half into a log 12 inches long. (Give the logs plenty of space on both sides as the width of the logs doubles during baking.).
• Carefully transfer the logs to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
• Pat to even up the shapes. Bake until almost firm to the touch, about 50 minutes. (I have found that 40 minutes was sufficient).
• Let cool for 10 minutes. (Do not let it cool for longer as the logs will become brittle and more difficult to slice without breaking.).
• Leave the oven set at 300°F.
• Using a spatula, transfer the logs to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut on the diagonal into slices 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Return the slices cut side down to the baking sheet.
• Bake for 25 minutes. (I baked mine 15 minutes and the biscotti were very crispy).
• Turn the slices over and bake until crispy and dry, about 25 minutes longer. (Again, I found 15 minutes to be good).
• Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.