We presently have at least four inches of snow on the ground, and the temperatures have finally dropped below freezing. Taking care of my chickens in this kind of weather is just not fun, although the chickens do not seem to mind. I have been preparing them warm porridge from their layer feed every morning, and give them warm water twice a day.

The sun is out today, though, which always lifts my spirits. Luckily the forecast is calling for just a few cold days before it begins to warm up again, so the chickens and I will just have to survive the next few days. I can tolerate temperatures in the thirties just fine, but when they drop below freezing, I just want to hang out on the couch in front of the fire.

I keep looking at the calendar, counting the weeks until spring arrives, which helps me survive the most frigid days. We do have a few upcoming holidays to look forward to though, including Valentine’s Day and Easter, which will help us get through the next few weeks.

My husband loves his biscotti, and he has a big biscotti jar at both our North American home as well as our Umbrian farmhouse. My husband did try to make his own biscotti once, but it was a colossal failure, and the biscotti fell apart after baking, and he ended up with biscotti crumbs.

Although I do not love baking, I often do bake batches of cookies for the grandkids, rustic cakes for the family, and I try hard to keep my husband’s biscotti jar full. With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I thought I’d create a batch of biscotti to celebrate the holiday, and combined dried cherries and dark chocolate.

This biscotti recipe does not include any fat, which creates a crisper cookie that is perfect for dipping into your morning coffee. Since I knew I was baking cookies for dipping, I made them longer than I usually do. You could instead create two smaller logs instead of one large one as I have, which will make shorter biscotti.

These biscotti will easily last two weeks (or more) in an airtight container, and they also freeze well if you want to bake up a double batch. These are a great cookie to make for Valentine’s Day for the family or for friends or co-workers.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

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Dark Chocolate & Dried Cherry Biscotti

Yield: Makes 24 Biscotti

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 42 minutes

Total Time: 57 minutes

Crisp biscotti studded with dried cherries and dark chocolate.

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Ingredients

• 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 Large Eggs
• 3/4 Cup Dried Cherries
• 1 Cup Chopped Dark Chocolate Pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In one bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract until blended.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon until mixed.
6. Stir in the cherries and chocolate and then dump the mixture onto a lightly floured counter or cutting board.
7. Knead a minute or two by hand until the dough comes together.
8. Form into one long log about 14-inches long (for long biscotti), or two smaller logs about 8-inches long and place on the prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake about 25 minutes, or until the bottom is lightly browned, and the top feels set.
10. Cool 10 minutes and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
11. Use a serrated knife the cut the log into 1-inch slices.
12. Lay the biscotti flat, side by side on the baking sheet and bake 10 minutes.
13. Turn the biscotti over and bake another 7 to 8 minutes until lightly browned. (The biscotti will crisp up as they cool)
14. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 48mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g

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