Coconut Chocolate Chip Biscotti

The last few months I have actually been baking pretty frequently, but two things have been holding me back from updating the blog.  First - It has been dark as I arrive at and leave work each day, making it hard to capture good photos of anything new I do bake.  Second - I've been making a lot of old classics that are already on here, or that don't seem exciting enough to post (my cravings for chocolate +/- peanut butter seem ever present...).   I also actually started worrying for a short period that maybe I had run out of new recipes/ideas - how many variations on chocolate and cookies and brownies can there be??  (Luckily I then convinced myself I am not there yet!).  So I opened of a new cookbook I'd recently received as a gift to look for some inspiration, and stumbled upon this recipe.  Plus I'm currently working nights, which means I can take food photos in sunlight!

The name "biscotti" is an italian word that means twice-cooked, and that is why these delightful cookies are so crunchy.  They are best served with a hot drink to dunk them into - they go especially well with hot chocolate.  The dried out nature means they keep well, so they are a great cookie to make in advance of having company.  The addition of coconut is subtle in flavor, but adds well to the texture, making them a little more moist.

Coconut chocolate chip biscotti
mildly adapted from Theo chocolate cook book
Makes about 2-3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 stick (113 grams) of butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cup flour
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chunks.

Make the Biscotti:
Preheat the oven to 350f /175c and line a cookie tray with parchment paper.

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions.
3. Mix in the coconut, salt, and baking powder.  Mix in the flour, followed by the chocolate chips.
4. Turn dough out onto prepared cookie sheet in a log diagonally across the cookie tray, and gently shape it with your hands, so it is about 15 inches long.  Gently flatten it till it is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall, and smooth the edges.  I like to fold each side of the parchment paper over the dough to help smooth the sides and top, and help shape it.
5. Bake for 60 minutes, until the log is golden brown, and mostly firm to touch.  Cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes (leave the oven on!).  
6. Once cool enough to touch, transfer it to a cutting board and slice into 3/4 inch slices using a bread knife.  Now lay the biscotti back on your cookie tray, cut side down (you'll need to pack these in closely to fit on the tray).  Bake for 10 minutes, then flip each cookie over, and bake for 10 more minutes.

Store in an airtight container, these keep well for about a week.