Sunrise Biscotti

**Tinkerbell**'s Note:

This refreshing biscotti is brightened up by the beautiful colors of the blood orange. White chocolate & honey add sweetness. This recipe was developed as an entry in the Ready Set Cook #11 contest. I personally like my biscotti a little softer, so it can be enjoyed as a cookie by itself or for dipping in my morning coffee. For a crispier cookie, increase bake times 5-10 minutes each.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 24 cookies

• 1/4 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 blood orange
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In large mixer bowl, add sugar, butter and honey.
3. Grate the peel from the blood orange using the large side of the cheese grater. Take care not to grate the pith (the white layer between peel and fruit). Add grated peel to mixer bowl.
4. Cut orange in half and squeeze juice out of both halves; add to bowl.
5. Cream all together til light and fluffy.
6. Add almond extract and then both eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
7. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually blend into creamed mixture.
8. With wooden spoon, stir in chopped pecans and white chocolate chips.
9. Dough will be slightly sticky.
10. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and divide into two halves.
11. Using your hands, roll one half into a 10-12 inch log and place lengthwise on greased cookie sheet.
12. Gently flatten log into a long rectangle about 2-1/2 inches wide.
13. Repeat with second half of dough, leaving about 3 inches between flattened logs on cookie sheet.
14. Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until a pale gold color.
15. Remove from oven but leave logs on baking sheet til cool enough to handle.
16. Gently transfer to cutting board and slice each log on a diagonal into 1-inch wide slices.
17. Return to baking sheet and arrange so that there is a little space between each cookie.
18. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes, then turn each cookie over to expose the opposite cut side and bake for 10 minutes more or until golden and crisp.

Reviews

[Bea A Gal...]

Great Biscotti. I did add a few thing to mine 1/4 cup each of white chocolate chips, pecans, and orange flavored cranberries. Worked out fine for me, just really have to adjust the cooking time a bit. Thanks for sharing the recipes with us.

[Mom2Rose]

FALL PAC 2008: Tink - these are awesome. I love the color the blood orange gives these cookies!! Wonderful citrus flavor!

[hannah234]

Yummy! This was my first time making biscotti and it was very good. I couldn't get a blood orange, so I used a navel orange, but only used 2 T. of juice since blood oranges are smaller. I'm not sure if that was still too much or what, but my dough was very soft, so I popped it in the freezer for about 5 min. and it was the perfect consistancy then. I also left out the white chocolate because I'm not a huge fan. I think next time I will use slightly more orange zest and almond extract just to give them a little boost. All in all I nice little biscotti! thanks