Jim Dodge's Orange Walnut Biscotti

Jim Dodge's Orange Walnut Biscotti

3-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups (8 ounces) walnut pieces

1 teaspoon double-action baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

1-1/3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons zest from 1 large fresh lemon

2 tablespoons zest from large shiny orange

1 teaspoon pure orange oil

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a jelly-roll pan with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside bottom of the pan exactly.

Blend the flour, walnuts, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl until the nuts are evenly mixed in. Set it aside nearby.

Break 2 of the eggs into a 2- to 3-quart mixing bowl, separate the third egg, and drop the yolk into the bowl but reserve the white in a small bowl. Whisk the eggs, adding sugar, zests, and orange oil. Gradually whisk in melted butter, and when all is well-blended, pour it into the bowl of flour and other dry ingredients. Fold and push all ingredients together until the liquid is absorbed and the dry ingredients have been completely incorporated. Empty it out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead and squeeze it into a quite stiff, doughy mass.

Divide the dough in half and roll and press each half into a log 14 inches long; press the ends in as you roll to keep them neat. Lift each log as shaped onto the parchment-lined pan, and press the top to flatten slightly -- the logs will be oval in shape. Beat the reserved egg white with a fork until smooth and brush it lightly over the tops of the logs.

Bake until the logs are light brown but still give slightly when the tops are pressed, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Let the logs cool on the pan for 15 minutes.

One at a time, remove the logs to a board and cut them on a diagonal into 1/2-inch slices -- the characteristic biscotti shape. Lay the slices on their sides and return the sheet to the oven. Bake until the cookies are light brown, about 15 minutes. Set them on wire racks, and when the biscotti are thoroughly cold, store them in the airtight container, where they will keep for weeks.

Makes 6 dozen cookies.