hazelnut biscotti

I'll say it: I'm not big on biscotti.  I think most of the time it's just hard, dry bread-things that taste like dust and nothing and hurt my jaw to gnaw at.

I don't remember where I first saw a version of this recipe, but it was pretty successful the first time around.  I did some tweaking over the years to get to a texture I could like better-- dry and sturdy, but also crisp and delicate.  Although biscotti is a little more time consuming and labor intensive than, say, most drop cookies, this one is definitely worth it.  It's also highly customizable-- any variety of flavored extracts, citrus zest, nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips, anything-- it's all possible.  Among my favorites are orange zest with almonds, and vanilla-hazelnut.....

AP flour...........................................................1 3/4 C
baking powder.................................................1 tsp
salt...................................................................1/4 tsp
unsalted butter, soft...........................................5 Tbsp
granulated sugar...............................................1/2 C
brown sugar, packed........................................1/2 C
eggs..................................................................2 ea
vanilla extract....................................................2 tsp
hazelnuts, roasted and coarsely chopped...........1 1/3 C

Preheat oven to 325F.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Cream together butter and sugars until light.  Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each.  Add vanilla extract, then slowly add the flour mixture, just until blended.  Add the hazelnuts, folding them in gently until just incorporated without overmixing.

Add more flour, if necessary, so dough is soft but manageable.  Form dough into a long, rectangular log, about one inch tall and four inches wide, laying dough down onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush log with water and cover generously with coarse sanding sugar, if desired (totally, desire it).

Bake the loaf 30-35 minutes, until it is tender-firm and just starting to brown.  Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely-- it should not feel warm at all.  This'll take a while, as the "bread" is fairly dense.

Using a sharp, serrated knife, carefully cut the loaf crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices.  I've found that very lightly sawing the top crust, and then swiftly forcing the blade straight down is a pretty effective method for slicing the loaf without destroying it.  This is especially important when there are nuts in the mix-- as there should be!  :)
Arrange the slices cut-side-down on a sheet pan.  The pieces aren't going to expand, so it's fine if their edges touch.  Typically I can fit all the slices on the same size pan I baked the loaf in.

Turn the oven down to 300F, and bake another 20-25 minutes, until dry and very lightly toasted.  The centers might still feel slightly soft, but if they're hot enough they will crisp up as they cool.  Let them cool completely before doing anything with them......

...like dipping them in chocolate and sprinkling with fleur de sel!

Ideally, they can keep at room temperature in an airtight container for a week or so, or maybe more.  Who knows?