Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsaltted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

Biscotto Di Cannella Al Cioccolatto

Makes 5 Dozen Cookies

Beat the buttand sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt a d cinnamon. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, blending thoroughly. Divide the dough into 3 pieces and form into logs 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice the chilled logs 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal to make oblong cookies. Place the slices on an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Transfer to racks to cool.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Dip one end of the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate, leaving the other end bare. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate for 1/2 hour, until the chocolate has set.

Cook's Tip:

For a variation on the basic sugar cookie, sprinkle the tops of the uncooked cookies with chopped nuts of your choice or turbinado sugar.