Cherry Biscotti

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chilled butter (cut in small pieces)
• 2 cups maraschino cherries
• 2 large eggs (slightly beaten)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 grease large baking sheet.
• 3 remove stems from drained cherries.
• 4 make a small slit in whole cherries and pat dry with a paper towel.
• 5 this is to stop the red juice from the cherries running into the buttery color of the biscotti.
• 6 combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl.
• 7 cut in butter with pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.
• 8 stir in eggs and extract until well blended if mixture is crumbly dry, add milk.
• 9 stir in cherries.
• 10 divide mixture in half.
• 11 on lightly floured surface, press dough together and shape into two 10-inch-logs.
• 12 place logs on prepared baking sheet.
• 13 flatten to 2-1/2-inch width.
• 14 bake in 325-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
• 15 using a couple of spatulas, transfer logs to rack to cool for 20 minutes.
• 16 with serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 3/4-inch-thick slices.
• 17 return to baking sheet.
• 18 bake 10 minutes or until cookies are crisp and firm to touch. (they should be golden.so watch closely, if biscotti starts to brown reduce heat or remove early -- use your own judgement)
• 19 transfer to rack to cool.
• 20 store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.