Chocolate Orange Biscotti

Who doesn’t love baking (and eating) batch after batch of cookies during the holiday season? Everyone has their favorites, whether it’s spicy gingerbread men, jelly-filled thumbprints, or sugar cookies shaped to look like Santa, snowmen, and shimmering snowflakes. We particularly enjoy making these crunchy, not too sweet biscotti, perfect for having alongside a cup of coffee or cocoa, or dipping into a glass of rum-spiked eggnog or dessert wine. We know that once you try them, they’ll become a beloved part of your holiday tradition.

Chocolate Orange Biscotti
Makes 3 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients: 
2/3 cups sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 oz dark chocolate chips, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla and eggs, and mix well. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead with your hands until smooth.

Divide dough into two rectangles, about 10×3 inches each, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, and cool on a cutting board for about 15 minutes.

Cut your rectangles crosswise into individual 1/2-inch slices. Place slices cut side down on cookie sheets. Bake biscotti for 8 minutes on each side, until crisp and light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets and cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, dip one side of each cookie in melted chocolate and place, chocolate side up, on waxed paper. Chill in the refrigerator until chocolate is firm.