Chocolate almond biscotti

If there is one last thing I have to do in the world, it would be to bake to my heart's content. Unlike music and the many things that will take an eternity for me to accomplish, baking and cooking is the most doable thing for me. Like Proust's madeleine in 'Remembrance of Things Past', I hope those whom I care about will remember my food whenever they think of me.

100g whole almonds, toasted and chopped coarsely
135g soft brown sugar
2 large eggs , room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
225g grams all-purpose flour
110 grams dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
 
Prepare a baking tray, lined with parchment. Preheat oven to 180 C.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar for 5 minutes on high until light and fluffy. Add in flour mix. Beat and mix well. The dough gets thick and sticky now, so take care not to overload the electric mixer. Stir in chocolate and almonds with a spoon.

Transfer the sticky biscotti dough onto the baking tray. With wet hands, shape the mix into a longish log, 4 inches wide by 12 inches long and 1 inch thick.

Bake in 180C for 30 minutes, until center is firm. Cool thoroughly for 20-30 minutes. Remove parchment. Ensure bottom of the log is cool as well.

Using a thin bread knife, slice across the log biscotti, making 2 cm thick slices. Put sliced biscotti back to baking tray, cut side up.

Bake in oven , now reduced to 160C for 10 minutes.

Turn biscotti over to the other cut side and bake at 160C again for another 10 minutes.

Cool thoroughly before storing.