Chocolate-Orange Biscotti

Biscotti are those fantastic dry cookies you dunk in a good cup of coffee. The word biscotti originates from the Latin word biscoctus, meaning "twice-cooked/baked." Baking the biscotti twice makes them very dry and easily stored.


 Ingredients
2 cups white flour
⅔ cup Splenda or sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup chopped almonds
¼ cup chocolate chips

Chocolate dip
1 cup chocolate chips
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Blend the wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients in to the the wet ingredients. Knead the dough. Form 2 8 inch long logs. Set the logs on to a baking sheet and flatten slightly to a width of approximately 2½".

Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce oven to 300°F. Let the biscotti cool for 10 minutes. Cut the logs, diagonally, into ½ slices. Bake the slices on one side for 10 minutes. Then bake for another 10 minutes on the other side. Let the slices cool.

In a double-boiler, melt the chocolate, orange juice, and zest together until very smooth. Dip the bottoms of each biscotto and set on a foiled baking sheet. Place the biscotti in the freezer until the chocolate is hard.