ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter,
room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 tsp. almond extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. orange zest
1 cup almonds, toasted


Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, almond extract and lemon and orange zest, and beat until the mixture is combined (it will be soupy and a bit lumpy). Add half the flour mixture and beat until it is just combined. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the remaining flour mixture and the nuts.

Shape the dough into two 15- x 3 1/2- x 1/2-inch logs and place them on the cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake 32 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 hours.

Using a long serrated knife slice the logs diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 7 minutes. Flip the biscotti over and bake an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE COATING

Ingredients:

6 oz. high-quality bittersweet
chocolate
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 oz. white chocolate

Procedure:

Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a double boiler over gently simmering water (or melt in a microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until nearly melted, then remove and stir until fully melted). Dip half of each biscotto in chocolate, then let dry on a cooling rack. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler over gently simmering water (or melt in a microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until nearly melted, then remove and stir until fully melted) and place in a pastry bag with a une writing tip (or in a plastic freezer bag with a tiny piece of the corner cut off). Drizzle white chocolate over the dark chocolate.

Makes 36 biscotti.