Recipe: Chocolate Biscotti with Orange, Pecans, and Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Biscotti with Orange, Pecans, and Chocolate Chips
Source: Sunset
Makes 72

3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons rum
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For dipping:
12 ounces white chocolate
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Add melted unsweetened chocolate, eggs, oil, juice, rum, peel and vanilla; stir to combine. Add nuts and baking chips; mix until dough is well blended.

Quarter dough; shape into 4 logs, each about 2 1/2-inch wide by 14-inches long. Place 2 logs on each of 2 lightly oiled (10x15-inch) baking pans.

Bake logs at 350 degrees just until firm to touch, about 20 minutes. Cool logs slightly in pans.

Using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch wide slices. Place slices cut side down on pans; bake until crisp, about 15 minutes more. Cool cookies.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt white chocolate and shortening over hot water, stirring until smooth (or heat in a nonmetal bowl in a micro oven on 100 percent power for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval, until soft and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes total).

Dip one end of each cookie about 1-inch into white chocolate to coat. Lay cookies on wire racks until firm; chill to speed process. Serve, or wrap airtight to store up to 2 days; freeze for longer storage.