Baked goods: Nutella biscotti

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Every time I see a recipe for some different sort of biscotti, I attempt to make it. I generally don't like any cookies, but somehow the concepts of biscotti and Nutella both entice me even less than a general cookie. Nevertheless, my urge to experiment means that I often make things that I personally would find unappealing.

Nutella biscotti
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup Nutella, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Optional
1/2 cup or so of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips (I did not include these)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugar on medium until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add the Nutella and beat to blend. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well (15 to 20 seconds for each egg) and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder). Add mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients all at once and beat on low speed just until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

If including chocolate, add the chocolate and mix until just blended. Stir by hand gently a few times to evenly distribute the chocolate.

Divide the dough in half and on a lightly floured surface, shape each half of dough into a 13-inch log. Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet spacing them about 4 inches apart. Press down on the logs to flatten them slightly until they are about 2 inches across. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the logs are firm to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the logs cool completely. (If you have included chocolate chips in the recipe, let the logs cool before cutting them – otherwise the chocolate chunks will smear and make for a less attractive appearance.)

Turn the oven down to 275 F and position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Transfer the cooled logs to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice the logs on the diagonal into 3/8-inch thick cookies. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cookies, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes until the cookies are dry. Remove from oven and turn the cookies over to bake the other side for an additional 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

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