Baking Obsession

Here I am speeding up the baking process. These two different in taste biscotti are made from one chocolate dough.

Makes about 1½ dozen of each kind

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

• 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup fine granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

For the nib and cherry biscotti:

• ¾ cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
• ¾ cup dry cherries (I like tart Montmorency)
• ½ cup cocoa nibs

For the coconut macadamia biscotti:

• 1 cup lightly toasted coconut
• ¾ cup lightly toasted macadamia nuts

Preparation:

Center the oven rack. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt over a medium bowl..

Beat the butter and the sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Divide the dough in half. Stir in the chopped chocolate, cherries, and nibs into one portion. Mix in the coconut and macadamia nuts into another.

Form each portion into a 12-inch long log, and place them at least 3 inches apart. Smooth and slightly flatten the logs with the dampened fingers.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the logs are puffed and firm to the touch. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack until cool enough to handle (about 15 minutes or so). Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F. Transfer the logs to a cutting board and with a sharp serrated knife, cut each log into ½ inch slices. Biscotti which are full of dry fruits and other stuff (like cherry and nib ones) can be tricky to slice; I usually start with the serrated knife to cut through the upper crust and then switch to a sharp slicer by pressing it down firmly and finishing the cut. Arrange the slices standing them on their bottoms on the same baking sheet and return to the oven for about 15 to 17 minutes to dry. Cool completely on the baking sheet on the wire rack.

Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.