BISCOTTI ARE A LEAN AND EASY, ANYTIME TREAT

For many of us, the sweet thought of biscotti may invite the wonderful vision of nibbling on cantucci, a cookie studded with toasted almonds, while sipping espresso in a Tuscan trattoria.

In Italy, biscotti refers to both cookies in general and particularly to the firm, elongated slices familiar to Americans. These get their name because they are cooked twice, first in a long log, then after they are cut. Often made with nuts, these cookies evolved from nut-and-honey cakes eaten in ancient Rome. Today, they come in an infinite variety, from Tuscan cantucci, also called Biscotti di Prato,
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to versions including such un-Italian ingredients as macadamia nuts.

Biscotti are a perfect cookie for today's tastes. Although I can't eat just one, they are popular because for many people, one or two are enough to satisfy the craving for something sweet. They are great dipped in espresso or dessert wine, and go perfectly with a cup of tea. Try dipping chocolate ones in a soothing mug of peppermint tea and see for yourself. You can make biscotti in large batches and store them for weeks, though I've found that having them around poses an ever-present temptation that I'm better off without. Biscotti are appealing any time of day. (Plenty of Italians take biscotti with their morning coffee as well as later on.)

While they look lean, some biscotti are so loaded with butter and eggs, as well as nuts, that you might as well have an eclair or a dollop of chocolate mousse. Keeping closer to the Italian tradition, here is a hard cookie studded with tangy cherries and sliced almonds. It tastes sinfully good, though the recipe calls for no added fat and uses a modest amount of nuts.

For best results, always line your baking pan with parchment paper or greased wax paper. Use an air-cushioned baking sheet, if you have one. Watch the biscotti carefully, since oven thermostats are often off by as much as 25 degrees, which affects baking time.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY ALMOND BISCOTTI

1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
2/3 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 cup dried sour cherries
3/4 cup sliced almonds
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the sugar and brown sugar. Mix in the cherries and almonds. Add the eggs and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients into a soft dough.

Use your hands to work the last bits of dry ingredients into the dough. Divide the soft dough into 2 parts. On the baking sheet, squeeze and shape each half into a log as long as the pan. Flatten each log slightly.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the logs are hard and dry to the touch. Cool them on the pan.

When the logs are completely cool, on a cutting board, cut them each in to 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife. Replace the sliced biscotti on the lined baking sheet. Stand them up so they are close, but not touching.

Bake 20-30 minutes, until the biscotti are dry and crisp. Cool on the pan. Stored in an airtight container, these biscotti keep for a week.

Makes 36 biscotti

Each biscotti cookie contains 79 calories and 2 grams of fat
Source: Dana Jacobi by the American Institute for Cancer Research