Cioccolato Paradiso (italian Chocolate Paradise Biscotti)

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 orange, zest of, finely chopped
• 2 cups all-purpose flour or 2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped milk chocolate (i use ghiradelli) or 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (i use ghiradelli)

Recipe

• 1 place nuts in a shallow pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown (do not overcook). let cool.
• 2 in a mixing bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
• 3 beat in egg yolks, vanilla and orange zest.
• 4 in a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. add to the creamed mixture, mixing just until crumbly.
• 5 in a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff soft peaks form and beat in remaining sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.
• 6 fold meringue into the crumbly dough, mixing until it clings together.
• 7 cut nuts into halves or thirds and fold in along with chocolate.
• 8 divide dough in half. form into two logs on a greased and floured baking sheet making them about 1/2 inch thick, 1 1/2 inches wide and 16 inches long, sppacing them at least 2 inches apart.
• 9 bake in the middle of a preheated 325 degree f oven for 25 minutes or until set and golden brown.
• 10 transfer from the baking sheet to a rack. let cool 5 minutes. place on a cutting board. with a serrated knife, slice diagonally at a 45 degree angle about 1/2 inch thick.
• 11 place the slices upright on a baking sheet and return to the oven at 300 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes to dry slightly. let cool on a rack. store in a tightly covered container. makes about 4 dozen biscotti.