Chocolate Chip& Almond Biscotti

1 1/4 c blanched almonds -- toasted

2 c sifted flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 c granulated sugar -- minus 2 tbsp

12 ozs semisweet chocolate chips

2 lg eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsps whiskey -- or brandy

Adjust 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 375?F. Use cookie sheets with 2 or 3 flat edges otherwise use cookie sheets upside down. Line sheets with parchment.

Sift together into large bowl the flour, soda, powder, and salt. Add the sugar and stir to mix.

Place about 1/2 c of dry ingredients in the bowl of food processor. Add about 1/2 c of toasted almonds and process for about 30 seconds, until the nuts are fine and powdery.

Add the processed mixture to the sifted ingredients in the large bowl. Add the remaining toasted almonds and the chocolate morsels; stir to mix.

In a small bowl beat the eggs with the vanilla and whiskey, just to mix.

Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and handstir until dry ingredients are moistened. Be patient.

Place a length of parchment or wax paper on the counter next to the sink. Turn the dough out onto the parchment. Wet your hands with cold water and pres the dough into a round mound.

With a long heavy knife cut the dough into equal quarters. Continue to wet your hands as you form each piece of dough into a strip 9" long, 2 to 2 1/2" wide, and about 1/2" high. You will press, not roll, the dough into shape. The ends of the strips should be rounded rather than squared.

Place 2 strips crosswise on each of the lined sheets. Bake for 25 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking.

Remove sheets from oven and slide parchment off sheets. With a wide metal spatula, transfer the baked strips to a large cutting board and let them cool for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temp to 275?F. With a serrated bread knife, carefullky cut on a sharp angle into slices about 1/2 inch wide. Cut slowly with a sawing motion. Place the slices, cut side down on the two unlined sheets.

Bake the two sheets, turning slices upside down and reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking. Bake for a total of 25 to 30 minutes. Turn oven off, open oven door and let biscotti cool in the oven.

When cool, store in an airtight container.