Chocolate Almond Wrapped Dried Fruit Biscotti ( Whole Wheat )

The texture of this biscotti is light and crisp - not like a traditional biscotti at all.

It was my first time trying to make it with all whole wheat flour and this was the result. It's like eating a sweeter piece of toast. You could use any type of dried fruits that you like (a scant 1 cup chopped). I imagine if you were to use all purpose flour instead, the contrast in colour between the two doughs would be better.

Chocolate Almond Wrapped Dried Fruit Biscotti ( Whole Wheat )

Makes about 30 slices

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 tablespoons almonds, slivered
• 6 dried apricots, chopped
• 4 dried figs, chopped
• 2 heaping tablespoons raisins
• 2 heaping tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (or coarse sugar)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes until fluffy.
4. Add one egg at a time and continue beating until well combined.
5. Add extracts and orange zest.
6. With a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture. Mix well.
7. Divide dough in half. To one half, add cocoa and almonds. To the other half, add the dried fruits. Ditch the spoon and mix the doughs by hand.
8. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter.
9. Take the fruity dough and form it into a log. Press the chocolate dough out into a rectangle big enough to wrap around the fruity log. Place the fruity log on to the chocolate dough, and use the plastic wrap to help you roll the sides of the chocolate dough around it. Pinch the seam together. Place the roll seam side down on the baking sheet and flatten the top slightly keeping the edges rounded.
10. Rub the turbinado sugar on top.
11. Bake for 40 minutes then remove and allow to cool on baking sheet for 15 minutes.
12. While it's cooling, reduce the oven to 325F.
13. Transfer the baked dough to a cutting board and cut slices about 1/2" thick with a serrated knife.
14. Place the slices on the baking sheet (you may need two baking sheets for this) and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes or just until the cookies are crisp.

Tip: If you end up using two baking sheets, be sure to rotate them half way through the second cooking. This biscotti is quite large - you can make smaller ones by dividing both dough in half, and making two smaller logs. Remember to reduce the cooking times accordingly.