Because Baking is Creative: Dark Chocolate Biscotti

I think my first attempt at making biscotti was successful. I chose a recipe that includes whole wheat flour, flaxseed and dark chocolate so this isn't your everyday coffee-house biscotti. It's almost good for you! I decided to dip half of the baked biscotti in dark chocolate because A) it looks pretty and B) I thought it would take the healthy edge off of the taste. Both kinds were delicious.

Italian Lesson: biscotti is Italian for cookies (or biscuits as the English call them). That's cookies, plural. One cookie is called a biscotto. Like panino and panini, panini is plural and means sandwiches, something American restaurants can't seem to figure out.



Deep Dark Chocolate Biscotti
from Cooking Light

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen (serving size: 1 biscotto)

Ingredients
* 9.5 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 2 cups)
* 2 tablespoons flaxseed
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
* 2 large egg whites
* 1 large egg
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (such as Hershey's)
* 3/4 cup unsalted almonds

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, flaxseed, soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine sugars, egg whites, and egg in a bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed for 2 minutes. Add vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; stir until combined. Fold in chocolate and almonds. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6-inch-long roll. Arrange rolls 3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat to a 1-inch thickness. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until firm.

3. Remove rolls from baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut rolls diagonally into 30 (1/2-inch) slices. Place, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 325°; bake 7 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake 7 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.