“It is perfectly served after a dinner coffee!”

INGREDIENTS   

2 cups dried tart cherries
1/4 cup orange juice
   Hot water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
   Pinch salt
3 large eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
   Powdered sugar, for rolling

DIRECTIONS 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine the cherries and orange juice in a small bowl and add just enough hot water to cover.
• Set aside for 15 minutes or more.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Drain the cherries and discard the liquid.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together.
• Add them to the flour mixture along with the drained cherries and pecans and stir until a stiff dough forms.
• Scrape the dough onto a lightly sugar work surface and divide it into 4 pieces.
• Roll each piece with the palms of your hands into a log slightly shorter than the length of your cookie sheet.
• Place two logs on each cookie sheet, several inches apart (the logs will double in width).
• Bake for 15 minutes, until the logs feel set or firm to the touch.
• Set the cookie sheets on racks and let cool.
• Reset the oven to 300°F.
• Place the logs on a cutting board when cool to the touch.
• Slice them into 1/2-inch diagonal slices by using a serrated knife.
• Lay the biscotti out on the prepared cookie sheets in a single layer.
• Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until they are dry and lightly toasted; cool completely.
• Store this in an airtight tin or plastic container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.