Savory Walnut Biscotti

Yield

30 to 34 biscotti

	~	Butter or nonstick cooking spray, for coating baking sheet
	4	oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
	2	Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
	¼	tsp. cayenne pepper
	3	large eggs
	1	Tbsp. granulated sugar
	2½	cups all-purpose flour
	½	cup cornmeal
	1½	tsp. baking powder
	½	tsp. salt
	⅓	cup grated Parmesan cheese (see Cook’s Notes)
	1	cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a baking sheet or spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a 1-quart saucepan over low heat, melt butter with rosemary and cayenne. Let cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until well blended, using a heavy-duty stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer. Add melted butter and blend. Add dry ingredients, then cheese and walnuts. If using a stand mixer, knead dough until well blended. Or, use your hands to knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until well blended. (Mixture has a tendency to be crumbly; complete kneading helps dough stay together.)
Form dough into 2 logs, each about 10 inches long. Place logs on a prepared baking sheet 3 inches apart and bake until light, sandy brown, about 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove 1 log to a cutting board, and slice about ½ inch thick with a serrated knife. Return slices to baking sheet. Repeat with other log. Biscotti will crumble slightly at this point, but if you work slowly and carefully, you will minimize it.
Bake biscotti until a light, sandy color shows on sides, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Arrange on a platter to serve.

Suggested Wine: Pinot Noir
We prefer good imported Parmigiano. If it’s not available, buy the best dry-grating cheese you can find and grate it yourself. Dry Sonoma Jack is an excellent choice.
To store the biscotti, tightly seal in lock-top plastic bags. They will keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. They can be frozen for 1 month. Refresh in a preheated 300°F oven for 10 minutes.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.