Gluten Free Chocolate Biscotti

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Carla's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend recipe
• 1/2 cup gluten free Dutch processed cocoa powder (Rodelle)
• 1 Tablespoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, extremely soft (or 4 egg yolks for dairy-free)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons brandy
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, chopped dried cranberries, or mini GF chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup gluten-free chocolate chips
• 10 ounces finely chopped, high-quality, gluten-free chocolate (optional)

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the flour blend, cocoa powder, and baking powder; set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
3. Line a silicone mat or other non-skid surface with a sheet of plastic wrap as long as your baking sheet, 17 inches; set aside.
4. In the bowl of your mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time while mixer is running on low to medium-low speed. Add extracts, brandy, and water and mix until well blended. (Do not over mix, as you do not want a lot of air bubbles in the dough.)
5. Add the dry mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat until a dough forms.
6. Fold in hazelnuts or other add-ins using a wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
7. While the dough is still in the bowl, divide into two pieces. Place the pieces on the plastic wrap. With wet hands, form each piece into a log, 17 inches long by 1/2 – 3/4- inch high. To make them the traditional shape, arch the top by making the middle of the length higher than the rest of the log.
8. Cradle the roll by picking up the right corners of the plastic wrap with one hand and the left corners with your other hand. Invert the roll onto the prepared baking sheet. Reshape if necessary. Repeat with the second log. Bake on separate baking sheets.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes and until slightly golden brown. (If your fingers burn when you touch them, they are over-baked.)
10. Once the first baking cycle is complete remove from oven and lower temperature to 300°F. (They will be the texture of cake.) Holding onto the sides of the parchment paper, transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
11. Using a serrated knife, slice each roll into 1/2 – 3/4-inch wide cookies, or diagonally for longer biscotti. Place each slice on its side onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
12. Bake cookies on the middle shelf for 10 minutes (longer if you like them crisp; shorter if you like them soft). Turn them over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
14. To Drizzle or Dip in Chocolate:
15. Place chocolate in a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Once heated, begin to stir until almost all pieces melt. Remove from heat. Drizzle over cooled biscotti or dip half of each cookie into the chocolate. If dipping them, set them on the edge of a chopping board with a heavy knife placed on top of the undipped portion; refrigerate until set.

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