YIELD - About 16 Chocolate Biscotti

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup butter, softened

* 2/3 cup white sugar

* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

* 2 teaspoons baking powder

* 2 eggs

* 1 cup blanched almonds. (Wanna know how to blanch almonds?)

* 1 3/4 cups purpose flour

Procedure

* In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

* Gradually beat in cocoa and baking powder.

* Beat for 2 minutes.

* Beat in the eggs one at a time.

* Fold in the chopped almonds.

* Stir in flour by hand.

* Preheat oven to 375 degrees F . Divide dough into two parts, and roll each into a log. Doesn't matter how long of a log - it's your recipe, you choose.

Place logs on lightly greased cookie sheet.

TIP: If the dough is too sticky to handle - cover it and put in 'fridge for 10 minutes.

* If you want to flatten, that's fine - just don't press hard.

* Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or till firm.

* Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool before cutting.

* TIP: I put a marble slab in the fridge and transfer the log to the slab to speed cooling

* After the logs/loaf have cooled. Cut each loaf into 1/2 inch wide diagonal slices.

* Place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet.

* Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 9 minutes.

* Turn cookies over, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes.

* Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

* TIP: Depending on the humidity the second baking may take longer. You are looking to get your biscotti dried out and crunchy. Don't skip the crunch!