Walnut Biscotti

I love to bake and a favorite, surprisingly easy cookie recipe is biscotti. According to recent web searches, biscotti is of Italian origin and means "twice baked",  which indeed they are. I've been messing with recipes for years for I prefer a bit softer biscotti. This one holds up well and is also satisfying without the white chocolate dip.

These also store well so you can bring out when friends come over. Great with a cup of coffee or tea.

Walnut Biscotti

Yield: 18 cookies 

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 -1/2 cup chopped walnuts 
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla and slowly add to dry ingredients. Fold in  1  cup of the walnuts.
2. Spray palms with cooking spray. On a greased baking sheet form dough into a 2 1/2-inch wide rectangle. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. 
3. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Place slices back onto cookie sheet and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes turning at 4 minutes.
4. In a wide bottom bowl, melt white chocolate chips for 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Dip bottom of biscotti in white chocolate and immediately dredge in remaining chopped walnuts.
5. Place on cookie sheet once again and put in refrigerator to let chocolate harden.  Store in an airtight container.