My focus of late has been getting this blog off the ground.  I’ve been spending my time compiling lists of recipes I want to try, recipes that I enjoy making on a semi-regular basis, etc.  This task, however, has suddenly taken a back seat to a charity event that is only a few days away, and that I just agreed to do.  Story by Story – Climbing to End Domestic Violence is an event that involves me climbing up 42 flights of stairs.  That’s 756 steps.  Seems kind of like, I don’t know, a lot.  Right?  Especially for someone who does not climb lots of stairs on a regular basis?

What to do, what to do.  I guess I’ll just focus on how good my backside will look after I get to the top.  Assuming, of course, that I can walk to a mirror to look at it without collapsing before I get there.

Maybe I should also focus on having something delicious to look forward to when I get to the top.  In case you haven’t noticed, we here at Pâte à Chew love to bake.  And I mean looove to bake.

So I think it’s time I introduced everyone to one of my favorite desserts: Chocolate Cherry Biscotti.  They are a light, airy twice-baked cookie with no butter or oil (!) and a rich, satisfying flavor.  Having just the eggs as a binding agent makes for a dry and crisp cookie that is especially yummy dunked in coffee.

These are a food I never, ever get sick of eating.  The combination of dark chocolate and dried, sweet cherries is absolute heaven to me.  These can also be made with chopped walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts (like here at Smitten Kitchen), and probably any other ideas that might pop into your head.

And with only 1-2 grams of fat per cookie, I can keep that derriere in prime stair-climbing shape.

Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

My recipe, inspired by The New York Times

Makes ~ 50 cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total cooking time: 60 minutes

These are surprisingly easy to make, with one note.  This dough is sticky, and I mean STICKY.  When rolling it out with your hands, use plenty of flour, both on your hands and on the cookie sheet.  It will still take you a minute or two of vigorous washing to get your hands clean, but it’s all worth it.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour, plus flour for work surface
1/2 cup Dutch-style cocoa powder ( I *love* Pernigotti, from Williams Sonoma)
4 teaspoons (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) espresso powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar (if you don’t like your cookies as sweet, you can use closer to 1 cup)
6 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped into bits
1 cup dried sweetened cherries, measured then chopped roughly

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.  Mix the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in a bowl and set aside.

2.  Beat the eggs lightly, just until they are blended in a mixing bowl with a whisk or in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.  Beat the sugar into the eggs until blended.  On low mixer speed, gradually stir in the flour mixture to form a soft dough; I stop the mixer a few times during the process to make sure the flour mixture isn’t settling to the bottom, which happens to me a lot.  Add chopped chocolate and cherries, mixing until just combined.  Do not overmix the dough!

3.  Divide dough in half and place one portion on well-floured work surface. With well floured hands, roll dough into a six-inch cylinder about 2 inches in diameter and about 12 inches long (I do this right on the baking sheet). Repeat with remaining dough.  Flatten the cylinders by pressing down with your palms or fingers, starting in the center of each cylinder and working outward.  How much you flatten the cylinders will determine how long/thin each biscotti will turn out.

4.  Place in the oven and bake about 20 minutes, until firm to the touch.  Let cool 20-30 minutes, or until it can be handled comfortably.  Transfer to a cutting board and cut on an angle into slices one-half-inch thick. Return the slices to the baking sheet, standing them up, and return them to the oven. Bake another 20 minutes, until they are crisp and dry. Allow to cool completely before storing or serving.