Chocolate Cherry Biscotti {Recipe}

I fell in love with the chocolate and cherry biscotti that I tried this weekend.   I happen to love biscotti and order it pretty much any time I see it in a coffee shop.  This is exactly what I want in a biscotti,  not too sweet, and this one was full of chocolate and cherry flavor, and crunchy, so as soon as I get home I started to look for a recipe and I found these biscotti  courtesy of Smitten Kitchen and adapted to have cherry and  I wouldn’t be a good baker if I didn’t try it. I thought they were absolutely fabulous and plannig to add them to my list of things that will go in my Valentine's packages this year.

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Total time: 1 hour

Makes about 60 biscotti
1 cup whole hazelnuts, preferably blanched
2 1/2 cups flour, plus flour for work surface
1/2 cup Dutch-style cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar.
1 cup dried cherries, chopeed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread hazelnuts on baking sheet and toast about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. If hazelnuts are not blanched, toast them until the skins begin to crack, then remove them from oven and wrap them in clean linen or cotton towel (not terrycloth). Rub hot nuts to remove most of the skin. Set toasted nuts aside.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Beat eggs lightly, just until blended, in mixing bowl with whisk or in electric mixer. Remove two tablespoons of egg mixture to small dish and set aside. Beat sugar into remaining eggs until blended. Gently fold in the cherries. Stir in flour mixture to form soft dough.
4. Divide the dough in half and place one portion on a well-floured work surface.  With floured hands, pat it into a six-inch square. Scatter half the hazelnuts on the dough and press them into the surface. Roll the dough into a cylinder about 2 inches in diameter and 12 to 15 inches long. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and place the roll of dough on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Brush the tops of both rolls with the reserved egg.
5. Place in the oven and bake about 15 minutes, until firm to the touch.
Transfer to a cutting board and cut on an angle with a serrated knife into slices one-half-inch thick.  Return the slices to the baking sheet, laying them on their cut sides, and return them to the oven. Bake another 15-20 minutes more, until they are crisp and dry. Transfer the biscotti to a rack to cool completely.

1. Storage suggestion: Keep the biscotti at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks

Have a great day xox