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Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Biscotti
24 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup dried cherries
½ cup almond slivers
½ cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon shortening (Crisco)
3 eggs
1 cup fine sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 oz good quality bittersweet dark chocolate
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl sift dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix and keep to the side. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and shortening until fluffy. Add sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add vanilla until blended. Add dry ingredients. Mix well until the dough is smooth. Using a spoon and  mix in the dried cherries and almonds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into two. Shape each half of the dough into a log approximately 2 inch high x 12 inches long.  Place the logs on to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes on a baking rack. Place on a cutting board and using a serrated knife slice each log on the diagonal into 12 pieces approximately 1 inch thick. Place the pieces back on to the baking sheet and bake 8-10  minutes, turn the slices to the other side and bake another 8-10  minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Fill medium pot 1/3 with water and simmer. Add to the top of the pot a glass bowl that sits on the top of the pot to create a bain du marie. Add the chocolate and melt over the simmering water. Don’t let the water touch the glass bowl. Once the chocolate is melted use an offset spatula to cover the end of each cookie. Place chocolate on approximately 1/3 of the cookie on all sides. Allow to set at room temperature on a wire rack . You may also set in the refrigerator for a ½ hour to hasten the process.  Store cookies in an air tight container.