Recipe: Chocolate Biscotti

Chocolate Biscotti
From: Sunset Magazine
Makes 6 dozen

3 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp each orange juice and rum
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate baking chips
1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds
12 oz. white chocolate
1 Tbsp 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 baking chips and nuts; mix until dough is well blended. Quarter dough; shape into 4 logs, each about 2 1/2-inches wide by 14-inches long. Place 2 logs on each of 2 lightly oiled (10 x 15") baking pans. Bake logs in a 350 oven until just firm to touch, about 20 min. Cool logs slightly in pans; using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2" wide slices. Place slices cut side down on pans; bake until crisp, about 15 min. 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 sec. at a time, stirring after each interval, until soft and smooth, about 1 1/2 min. total). Dip 1 end of each cookie about 1" 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.