Cantucci

When my husband and I were in Tuscany taking cooking classes, we made these cantucci or biscotti.  Biscotti means twice-baked in Italian.  Since they are very dry, biscotti traditionally are served with a drink, into which they may be dunked.

In Italy, they are typically served as an after-dinner dessert with a Tuscan fortified wine called Vin Santo.
Outside of Italy, they more frequently accompany coffee, including cappucinos and lattes.
No matter what liquid you dunk them into, they are delicious!
With the holiday season upon us, these make excellent gifts!
Here is the recipe...

ALMOND CANTUCCI

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
zest from 1 orange or lemon
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup almonds, whole, raw, and unpeeled
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the center and add the zest and eggs.  Beat the eggs together, gradually incorporating all the dry ingredients.  Pull the dough together with your hands, coating your hands with flour to avoid sticking, turn the dough onto a work surface and knead in the almonds.  The dough should be rather stiff, not moist and sticky.  If too sticky, add a small amount of additional flour.
Divide the dough into thirds and roll each piece into a log, one to two inches in diameter, each no longer than your baking sheet.  
Place the logs onto a greased sheet or parchment-lined pan and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  The logs are done when they are medium brown in color and firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and turn the logs out onto a board. Cut each log on a slight diagonal into individual cookies, about 1 inch wide, and return to the baking sheets.  
Bake an additional 20 minutes at 300 degrees until dry EVEN IF IT TAKES MORE TIME.

If desired, they can then be dipped in chocolate....
18 oz. chocolate chips (either milk, semi-sweet, or white)

A NOTE ABOUT TEMPERING THE CHOCOLATE:  
If you don't temper the chocolate, it most likely will turn gray when it dries.  The easiest way to temper chocolate is to reserve 1/3 of the chocolate you want to melt.  Put 2/3 of the chocolate in the bowl and set it over barely simmering water.  Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.  Stir the chocolate until melted.  Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the reserved 1/3 of the chocolate.  If necessary you can put the bowl back over the heat and stir until completely melted.
If you would rather use the microwave, put 2/3 of the chocolate in a bowl and microwave for exactly 20 seconds.  Stir and microwave for 20 seconds at a time until completely melted.  Add the 1/3 reserved chocolate and stir to melt.
Dip the end of each biscotti in the chocolate.  Transfer the dipped biscotti to a wire rack, set over a baking sheet, until the chocolate has hardened.  Store in an airtight container.  
These make very cute gifts - put a few of them in a clear plastic bag and tie with a pretty ribbon and put this bag in a cute coffee mug - INSTANT GIFT!