Milk Chocolate Biscotti

This is a neat way to incorporate the delicate flavor of milk chocolate into a crunchy cookie.

Makes about five dozen biscotti

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped, skinned hazelnuts or walnuts
1/2 cup alkalized (Dutch process) cocoa powder
8 ounces milk chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Cover 2 large cookie sheets or jelly roll pans with parchment or foil and set aside.
2. Place the sugar, nuts, cocoa, and milk chocolate in the food processor and pulse until finely ground.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift into a mixing bowl. Stir in the ground mixture.
4. Whisk the eggs and vanilla and stir into the flour mixture to form a dough.
5. On a lightly floured surface, press dough together. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a log the length of the pans you are using (14 to 18 inches). Place each log on a pan and flatten slightly. (If the dough is very soft, use a spatula to transfer it to the pan.) Bake until well risen and firm, about 30 minutes. Cool the logs on the pans.
6. After the logs have cooled, detach from paper and slice them about 1/2-inch thick with a sharp serrated knife. Place back on paper-lined pans, cut side down, and bake again until dry and crisp, about 20 minutes. Cool on pans and store in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.