Chocolate Cinnamon Biscotti

When it starts getting cold (which is what most of you will experience once Indian summer is over) is there anything better than a hot cup of coffee or tea and some biscotti to dunk into it? No, I didn't think so either so this week I'm sharing a super easy biscotti recipe gleaned from the Chocolate Cake Doctor. This woman has taken a simple box cake mix and -- like Emeril -- KICKED IT UP A NOTCH! I haven't made it all the way through either the Cake Doctor or the Chocolate Cake Doctor cookbooks yet but I'm working on it :-) Simple ingredients and method, fantastic results. [Could also be made and given as gifts.]

CHOCOLATE CINNAMON BISCOTTI

makes 16-18

1 pkg plain German chocolate cake mix*

8 T butter (one stick)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fiinely chopped hazelnuts*

1/4 cup flaked or grated semisweet chocolate

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In large bowl mix together all the ingredients on low speed until well blended, 3-4 minutes. The dough will be thick and come together in a ball.

Turn out onto prepared baking sheet. With floured hands shape dough into a rectangle about 14" long by 4" wide and 1/2 inch thick. Mound dough so it is slightly higher in the center (slightly, people, slightly!).

Bake until it feels firm when lightly pressed with finger and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 30-35 minutes.

Remove from oven and leave biscotti to cool for 10 minutes. (Leave the oven on; we're not done yet.)

Use a sharp, serrated knife cut one inch thick slices. You should end up with 16-18 biscotti. As you slice, carefully set biscotti on its side on the same baking sheet.

Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes. Turn oven off BUT LEAVE BISCOTTI IN THE OVEN for 30-40 minutes until they are crisp.

Remove from oven, transfer biscotti to a rack and cool completely (about 2 hours).

Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to several weeks.

* I substitute with regular chocolate cake mix since I cannot find the German chocolate here. 

Nor can I get hazelnuts, so I use walnuts instead.

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Now how simple was that? And the taste? Riquisimo!