Chocolate, Cherry & Hazelnut Biscotti

It's been a long time since I've made biscotti, and I nearly forgot how delicious those crunchy little tidbits are! This is a version with chocolate, wine-soaked cherries and hazelnuts, which is a good combination.Chocolate, Cherry & Hazelnut Biscotti
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup port or sweet wine
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and bake until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring once. Turn nuts onto a towel, and roll up towel to rub off the skins. Chop the nuts.

Microwave wine for one minute, and then add the cherries. Let stand for 30 minutes, and then drain well.

Place sugar and chocolate in a food processor, and process until chocolate is finely ground.

Place vanilla, egg and egg yolk in a large mixing bowl, and beat on medium until well blended. Add sugar/chocolate mixture, and beat one minute.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually mix in flour mixture, beating until just blended. Add in hazelnuts and drained cherries. (Dough will be very crumbly.)

Turn dough out, and knead several times. Divide dough into two equal parts. Shape each into an 8-inch roll. Place rolls on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and pat each roll to a 1-inch thickness. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks.

Reduce oven to 325ºF.

Cut each roll diagonally into 12 slices. Place, cut sides down, the cookies on the cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Flip cookies, and bake another 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 24 biscotti