For a little variety...

I know that I baked biscotti this past weekend, but I was especially drawn to another recipe by our friend Giada. In my opinion, you can never have too much biscotti. It keeps for up to 4 weeks in an air tight container and is a perfect accessory to a cup of coffee in the morning. I must add that I am especially enjoying my coffee this week, since it was a present from my favorite food guru Bridgey! Biscotti also makes a wonderful gift (I took a bag of citrus biscotti and almond biscotti to my coworker today to help ease the Manic Monday).

Citrus Biscotti

(Giada de Laurentiis, Everyday Italian)
2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 Tbsp. grated orange zest (1 orange)

1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat baking mat. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the orange and lemon zests, then the flour mixture, and beat just until blended; the dough will be soft and sticky. Stir in the pistachios. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, forming 2 equal mounds spaced evenly apart. Moisten your hands with water and shape the dough in 2 11 x 4-inch logs. Bake until the logs are lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet, and bake until the cookies are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool before serving.