ORANGE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI RECIPES

Steps:

• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then Grand Marnier and orange peel. Add flour mixture and beat until blended. Stir in pecans and chocolate. Gather dough together; divide in half. Wrap in plastic and freeze 20 minutes to firm.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Using floured hands, form each dough piece into 14-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer parchment with logs to rack. Cool 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• Place 1 log on cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut log on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Stand slices upright on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining log.
• Bake biscotti until dry to touch and pale golden, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on rack. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300. Position rack in the middle of oven.
• Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; mix thoroughly with fork.
• Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and orange extracts, and orange zest in a medium bowl.
• Mix in the orange juice.
• Using a rubber spatula, stir in dry ingredients until just combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• The batter will be thick and sticky (typical biscotti batter). Scrape the batter onto a baking sheet. (I cover my baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spray it with baking spray.) Using two spatulas, divide batter into two loaves, about 14" long and about 2.5" wide. Try to put at least 2.5" between the loaves; straighten the edges of the loaves with spatulas.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until firm but springy when pressed with fingers.
• Cool for ten minutes in the pan. Then move loaves to a cutting board, and with a sharp knife (serrated is best), slice loaves on teh diagonal in 1/2" slices.
• Lay the biscotti on the baking sheet, cut side down, and bake for another 12 minutes.
• Take the biscotti out of the oven, turn them over, and bake another 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Note: If you don't want the biscotti to pick up a darker color, handle the second baking this way: Rather than laying the slices cut-side down, stand them upright, and bake them for a total of 24-30 minutes.
• Remove the biscotti from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
• Medrich notes that the flavor will become stronger, and the biscotti will become more tender, after being stored for 2-3 days in an airtight container.