Black Forest Biscotti

Back in the good ole days when life was simple and I lived with EW, I gave her a cookbook from Moosewood Cafe for her birthday. And, as good roommates do, she thanked me in the form of baked goods and wholesome meals. Many times. Maybe I have a selective memory for cookies and other sweet things, but I do not remember anything from that cookbook as delicious these biscotti. So, recently when I was craving sweet treats to pack in my lunch that are not completely filled with butter, I asked her for the recipe. They delivered big time. They are crunchy and sweet, but not too sweet. And since the recipe is low on butter, I didn't feel (completely) guilty when I had one every day for lunch.

Adapted from: Moosewood, via EW

Ingredients:
½ cup dried cherries
1 cup water
¼ cup butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extact
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, heat the cherries and water just to boiling, and then remove from heat and set aside. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and well-combined.

Blend in the eggs and almond and vanilla extracts. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drain the cherries, place them on a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture, and then stir them into the egg mixture.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. With a rubber spatula, fold in the wet ingredients until the dough is uniform and holds together when pressed lightly with floured hands.

Use the spatula and your floured hands to scoop the dough onto the oiled baking sheet. Form the dough into a 12-inch by 3 inch diameter log shape; then press down on the log, flattening it to a thickness of about an inch. The length and width should be about 14 in x 4 in.

Bake on top rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until dough is firm and just slightly brown.

Remove from the oven and transfer the log to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, slice crosswise in ¾ in pieces. Lay each biscotti cut side up on the baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes on each side, using tongs to flip them. Cool completely on a rack and then store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Other notes:
EW says to add almonds. I would have but I didn't have any. I also forgot the chocolate chips, so I just added more cherries instead. Also, I think I probably undercooked these on the first round.