Stracciatella Biscotti and a Giveaway!

The Setting: An apartment full of baked goods ready to be sold!

The Soundtrack: Me scuttling around trying to get everything out the door and ready on time.

Steaming up the Slow-Cooker: Red-Pepper-Jelly Pork

The Scenario: Day of the bake sale!

It's game on.  Day of. All systems are a go.

...except that I forgot to get change for the cash box...

Well, here's hoping all goes well!

Stracciatella Biscotti
Named for the chocolate-flecked stracciatella gelato common to most Italian gelaterias.

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened slightly at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tsp for sprinkling
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups melted semisweet chocolate for dipping, if desired

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a med-large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat the sugar into the butter until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just to combine after each addition. Add the extracts, beating just to combine.

Add flour mixture and beat on low till well-blended. Add mini chocolate chips and beat on med-low speed to distribute, allowing the chips to get a little banged up.

Lightly flour your working surface and your hands. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and gather into a fat log. Divide the log in two.

Roll each half into a longer log, 2 1/2-3 inches in diameter. Place the logs 2-3 inches apart on the prepared pan and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or till logs are almost firm and just slightly golden. Cool for 25 min before cutting. Reduce oven temp to 300 degrees F.

Transfer logs to a cutting board and make 2-inch slices on the diagonal. Place slices, cut sides down, in a single layer on the baking sheet, and bake at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and carefully flip over each biscotti. Return to the oven for 15 minutes more. Cool biscotti on a wire rack.

If desired, dunk the long, skinny, uncut bottom of each biscotti in melted chocolate, and place on clean parchment to harden.

I melted regular semisweet chocolate chips in a glass bowl over 2 inches of simmering water, but I often do it in the microwave, stirring after every 30 seconds until fully melted, no water required. 

Isn't my spatula nifty?

It's a lean, green, cookie-flipping machine, and it (well, one just like it) could be yours!

To enter the giveaway, simply...

1. Become a follower of Being the Secret Ingredient either on the blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

2. Then tell Being the Secret Ingredient your all-time favorite cookie either by Tweeting @BeingTSI, commenting on the blog, or leaving a wall post on our Facebook page. Increase your chances by doing all three!

Must enter by January 15, 2012. Winner will be selected by a drawing and announced January 16. Winner must be a resident of the 48 contiguous United States.

For more information on the OXO "Good Cookie" Spatula, see this post: Cookies for Kids' Cancer--And a Giveaway!

For more info on Cookies for Kids' Cancer, visit www.cookiesforkidscancer.org.