Anise & Walnut Biscotti

1 2/3 c Bread flour

2 c Cake flour

2 c Walnut pieces

1/2 ts Baking powder

1/4 ts Baking soda

1 tb Anise seeds

1/2 c Unsalted butter

3 Eggs

1 1/3 c White sugar

2 ts Lemon zest

2 ts Orange zest

1/2 ts Anise extract

8 oz Bittersweet or semisweet

Chocolate, optional Blend bread and cake flours, walnuts, baking powder, baking soda and anise seeds in bowl. Melt butter and set aside to cool. Beat 2 eggs, 1 additional egg yolk and sugar until smooth. Reserve the remaining egg white. Stir in zests and anise. Add butteer and mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix to smooth dough. Roll dough into 2 14inch logs and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press tops of logs to flatten slightly. Brush with reserved egg white. Bake at 375 degrees F. until logs are light brown, but still give slightly when tops are pressed, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. While logs are still warm, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Return slices to baking sheet, placing on sides. Return to oven and bake until cookies are lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Cut chocolate into 1/2 inch chunks. Place 2/3 in stainless steel bowl, spreading in even layer over bottom and up sides of bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Fill medium saucepan 1/3 full of water. Bring water to simmer over high heat. Remove pan from heat and set bowl of chocolate over top. Let stand until 80% of the chocolate has melted.

Do not let temperature of chocolate drop below 88 degrees on candy thermometer. If so, place bowl over saucepan of warm water and continue stirring. Stir until chocolate is smooth and glossy. Have clean sheet of waxed paper nearby. Dip 1/2 of each cookie in chocolate. As cookie is removed, scrape top and bottom against side of bowl to remove excess chocolate. Set cookies on waxed paper until chocolate sets, about 3 hours or put into freezer for about 20 minutes. Submitted By SANDY GAMBLE <SCG@INDIRECT.COM> On FRI, 17 NOV 1995 233849 ~0700 (MST)
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