Chocolate-Peanut Butter Biscotti

These.are.so.good.  I just mailed off a batch to my best friend for Christmas.

This recipe comes from:

Christmas with Southern Living 2001
Page 154
Copyright:  Oxmoor House

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup finely chopped cocktail peanuts
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate mini-morsels, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons solid shortening

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with a Silpat.  Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs, beating well.

Stir together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.  Turn dough out onto a lightly flour surface.  Knead in peanuts and 1/2 cup mini-morsels.

Shape dough into a 13" x3" log on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 40 minutes or until firm.    Remove to a wire rack to cool.  (Leave the oven on.)

Using a serrated knife, gently saw the cookie log into 1/2" thick slices.  Place the sliced on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake for 7 minutes; turn cookies over and bake for 7 more minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

Combine remaining 1 cup mini-morsels with last two ingredients in a small saucepan.  Cook over low heat until melted.  Dip one end of each biscotti into the mixture.  Place on wax paper until chocolate hardens.

Yield:  28 cookies