Biscotti the King Arthur Flour way...

It is no secret that I checkout the Bakers' Banter everyday...sometimes more then once a day just in case they added something new. Their post on October 12th just spoke to me...just called to me and said "Michelle...you must bake right now and you won't be sorry." Who am I to argue with myself when I just make perfect sense. I had to run to the supermarket for something any way and picked up a package of the mini chips which was the only thing I was missing. I took out the butter to soften and then the night go away with me and I had to wait. Lucky for my I just had to wait one day and I was able to make them.

Black and White Biscotti King Arthur Flour

Ingredient
6 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, Dutch-process preferred
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips, mini chips preferred
2 tablespoons coarse white sparkling sugar, for topping (optional)

Glaze (optional)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18" x 13") baking sheet.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy

3) Beat in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled.

4) At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.

5) Divide the dough in half, leaving half in the bowl, and placing half on the prepared pan. If you have a scale, half the dough is about 10 1/4 ounces (290g). Volume-wise, half the dough is a generous 1 cup.

6) Shape the dough on the pan into a log that's about 14" long x 2 ½" wide. Straighten the log, and smooth its top and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper (or wet fingers) works well here. Place the pan in the freezer while you make the chocolate dough.

7) To prepare the chocolate dough, add the cocoa powder and espresso to the vanilla dough in the bowl, stirring to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips.

8) Remove the pan from the freezer. Using your wet fingers, spread the chocolate dough atop the vanilla dough, pressing it down the sides to entirely enclose the vanilla dough, if desired. You can also just leave the sides bare. Sprinkle the coarse sugar atop the dough, pressing it into the surface gently with your fingers.

9) Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool on the pan anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes; just work it into the schedule of whatever else you're doing in the kitchen. While the biscotti are cooling slightly, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

10) If you've used parchment on your baking sheet, use it to lift the biscotti off the sheet onto a flat surface. If you haven't used parchment, carefully lift the biscotti off the sheet onto a flat surface. Using a serrated knife or sharp chef's knife, cut the biscotti crosswise into 3/4" slices. Or cut the biscotti on the diagonal — for fewer, longer biscotti. As you're slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they'll topple over during their second bake.

11) Set the biscotti, on edge, back on the baking sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 30 to 40 minutes, till they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden. They'll still feel a tiny bit moist in the very center, if you break off a piece; but they'll continue to dry out as they cool.

12) Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

13) If you haven't topped the biscotti with coarse sugar, glaze them once they're cool. Mix the confectioners' sugar and water, and drizzle it atop the biscotti.

Yield: 21 biscotti, about 4" to 5" long.

Review: I was excited to make these more for the way they looked because they just look so cool. I was really happy with the end result in both...they looked amazing and tasted great. To me it is nice to have both flavors in each bite. I also do not think they are super sweet and the chocolate actually helps with that part. It calls for a glaze or coarse sugar on top...I did not do either. I actually meant to put the sugar on them but totally spaced on that one. So I figured I would just glaze them then...I think I ate too many and my 3 year old just wanted them ASAP that I did not get the chance. I was half joking when I commented on their blog that I now want to make . Neapolitan version...maybe cut the batter into thirds and just color one pink...or increase the recipe to 1 1/2 times and then do that. I have to say this batter was super sticking and wetting your hands totally helps. I think this one is a keeper and I might add it to my holiday baking list.