Karen Neugebauer, chocolatier and owner of Forte Chocolates, entered the chocolate business purely by accident. With three business degrees and 11 years working at Costco, she wasn’t looking for a new occupation. But when a back injury sidelined her she was forced to do something else to allow herself time to recover. She decided to try culinary school, and converted her husband (a chocoholic) to the idea by suggesting she concentrate on pastry and chocolate.

She hadn’t thought much about working specifically with chocolate until the first time she made a ganache, a mixture of warm chocolate and cream that melds and becomes more than the sum of its parts. She felt an instant connection. “There’s something magical about ganache, like having a baby or getting married. I knew we were going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

Dark chocolate tulips. PHOTO BY JESSAMYN TUTTLE

Her new vocation was deeply motivating, and by the end of the year-long program her back was healed, she had received awards for her work, and had job offers at the Seattle Hilton and Caesar’s Palace. Instead she went back to work at Costco and started a small chocolate company on the side, just to see if she could.

Five years later Forte Chocolates is a thriving business with a commercial kitchen in Mount Vernon and a small showroom, soon to be expanded and open to the public. Her chocolates are carried in stores around the Northwest, available for order online and sold at local farmers markets, an especially important outlet for Neugebauer. She and her husband try to personally attend the last market of the season in Bellingham every year. “With wholesale you lose that connection with the consumer. I treasure the markets.”

Neugebauer says it’s important to her to remain a small, focused, artisan business with roots in the community. “Our clients are our friends and our family.”

She keeps her small staff on their toes with her insistence on quality, but does her best to keep a work-life balance for all of them. “I do business my own way. I have my kids with me all the time, and I encourage my staff to bring their kids in.”

She also works hard to teach and encourage other people. She welcomes observers into her kitchen, offers home classes on chocolate use and appreciation, works with Skagit Valley College’s culinary program, and each year takes one apprentice and trains them to start their own shop. “I want to inspire others,” she said, knowing how hard it can be to start a business from scratch.

Owner and chocolatier Karen Neugebauer. PHOTO BY JESSAMYN TUTTLE

Forte makes many different award-winning chocolate products, from raspberry truffles to chipotle caramels, plain chocolate bars and delicate dark chocolate tulips (designed for Neugebauer’s son, a borderline diabetic).

She chooses chocolate from all over the world, based on its flavor and working qualities. Like wine, the quality of cacao varies greatly from one year to the next. She creates blends to keep her chocolate bars consistent, but allows terroir to shine in her single-variety truffles. “There’s good chocolate everywhere. I seek out the best chocolates regardless of who makes them,” she said. An extremely rare variety of cacao, called Fortunato No. 4, has recently been discovered in Peru and Forte is one of the few chocolatiers in the country selected to work with it. “Our chocolate is a luxurious, sensual experience. Instead of using heavy roasts, we source the beans that are complex and subtle,” Neugebauer said.

Despite what she calls her “roundabout way of getting here,” Neugebauer is happy with the work she’s chosen. “I have an artistic background. Chocolate gives me the opportunity to sculpt, as well as a chemistry set to play with… it allows me to do my art in so many ways. I would never turn back.”

Truffles. PHOTO BY JESSAMYN TUTTLE

Forte Chocolates can be reached at (360) 629-6500 or 1400 Riverside Drive, Suite D in Mount Vernon. For more information, visit www.fortechocolates.com.

The event includes classes and workshops, as well as demonstrations, lunch and a chance to meet businesses providing agricultural services from across the Northwest.

The classes, taught by local instructors, range from food preservation and backyard chicken flock to cheesemaking and gardening. New this year, according to Program Coordinator Joan Devries, are subjects such as grinding your own grains, permaculture homesteading, making jerky, braising inexpensive meats, integrating small livestock into a city yard, and tackling poultry issues such as hatching. In addition, classes to help stretch food dollars, as well as dying yarns, processing fiber, and beekeeping are also sought after.

What started as the Cattleman’s Winterschool more than 25 years ago, merged with the Country Living Expo in 2002, creating the event held each winter. Over the last few years, the Expo continues to grow, drawing a larger attendance than expected each year. Nearly 1,200 people came through the door last year.

The event brings people together to gain knowledge from local instructors and information about becoming more self-reliant and sustainable, Devries said. “We want to put education into the hands of the folks who can use it.” She added students (ages 12-18) are welcome to attend, and event organizers enjoy knowing the information is being passed on to the younger generation – “the future of our community.”

Sponsors of the event are key, and include the Stanwood High School FFA, WSU Skagit County Extension, WSU Livestock Master Foundation, and Snohomish Cattleman’s Association. In addition, 14 volunteers help make the event happen, many of them are livestock advisers who “get a little addicted to” the planning, Devries said. “They are an amazing group of volunteers. Many hands make light work.”

Participants must register for the Country Living Expo and Cattlemen’s Winterschool. The cost is $60 per person and includes lunch and six sessions of their choice. Students (ages 12-18) can attend for only $10. For more information about the class schedule, or to register online, visit http://skagit.wsu.edu/countrylivingexpo/. Further questions can be directed to the WSU Skagit County Extension Office at (360) 428-4270, ext 0.

–Published in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Grow Northwest

For Anne Schwartz, former Tilth Producers of Washington president and proprietor of Blue Heron Farm, farming sprang from “a lifelong need to be outside and a desire to leave things better than [she] found them.” Her career is also rooted in a lifetime of activism. Schwartz grew up in New Jersey, rallying around environmental, women’s equality, and anti-war issues before coming west with her husband Mike Brondi in the 1970s.

Anne Schwartz at Blue Heron Farm. PHOTO BY MARNIE JONES

“Skagit Valley in 1975 was a magical place,” Schwartz explains. “Jobs were mostly resource-based and people still lived by the seasons.” Sustainability, Schwartz came to realize, hinges in part on how we grow what we eat.”

As a pre-vet student studying livestock production systems, she began to see the non-sustainability in our food production system. Looking beyond her own diet to the bigger issues of food policy, Schwartz joined a growing cadre of small-scale organic farmers and activists and  became involved in what was then known as the Tilth Producers’ Cooperative. Over the ensuing years, Schwartz has assumed a key role in Washington State’s organic food movement. She describes her transformation from New Jersey radical to Skagit Valley farmer as “a natural evolution,” noting that her early interest in agriculture and dairy production has never waned.

Schwartz’s enthusiasm for a more sustainable agricultural model led her from Pullman, where she studied animal sciences and dairy science at Washington State University (WSU), to Sedro-Woolley, where she worked with for a dairy farmer and became more involved in hands-on farming. Joining Cascadian Farm in Rockport, Washington in 1979, while she also started Blue Heron Farm. Schwartz and Brondi now grow over a hundred types of bamboo as well as native plants, blueberries, and an assortment of vegetables on their own property and on two leased parcels nearby.

In addition to serving as a Tilth Producers board member and tending the farm, Schwartz serves on several advisory boards for other non-profits and WSU centers. She describes the primary focus of these volunteer committments as “advocating for change in research priorities and public policy issues.” She farms full-time, while Brondi manages the youth education and volunteer program for the North Cascades National Park. Schwartz says that a typical season at Blue Heron Farm involves growing nearly 10 acres of veggies and an acre of blueberries and selling produce to the North Cascades Institute’s Environmental Learning Center (ELC), the Skagit Valley Food Co-op (as part of a farmers’ coalition), at two Skagit farmers’ markets, to a large food distribution business in Stanwood, and for a small CSA. “[I] usually hire two to four people per season,” she goes on, “and I’ve had some longtime employees.” A nematode problem forced Schwartz to scale way back last year, but with expert nematologists helping her approach the restoration of soil health, she remains optimistic that she’ll be back up to full production soon.  “2010 and 2011 have been challenging years, weather-wise,” she admits. She has nonetheless kept four healthy acres in production, continuing to provide organic produce for her CSA members, the Co-op, and the ELC kitchen.

Schwartz hopes to return to her Farmers’ Market booth in seasons to come. “People would love to see me come back, and I would love to be back,” she says. With her reputation being what it is, it’s no surprise she’s missed.

Blue Heron Farm is located at State Route 530 in Rockport and can be reached at (360) 853-8449. For more info, visit www.fidalgo.net/~als/

Roslyn McNicholl remembers working in her parents’ garden as a young girl, creating a list of tasks to be done each day. “I’ve just always been interested in agriculture,” she says.

Roslyn McNicholl. PHOTO BY ASHLEY BENNETT

Her entry into the agricultural world was somewhat unintentional. McNicholl recalls looking for a way to spend her summers working outdoors while attending Western Washington University. “I was studying for my Business and Entrepreneurship degree,” says McNicholl, “but I started getting busy.” She began working with Broadleaf Farm alongside owner Dusty Williams to create a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. CSA programs are somewhat common for farms since they allow a set amount of people to sign up for weekly boxes of produce from the farm.

McNicholl says that she wanted a small project to work on but it escalated quickly. “At first we had a few people we delivered to,” she recalls, “and it grew to be about 30 people. Before I knew it, the whole project had taken off!” McNicholl originally planned to go to culinary school after graduation but she became completely invested in working for the farm. Williams alloted McNicholl one-fourth of an acre of his land in order to continue and expand her CSA program. As the project grew, McNicholl found herself asking for more land.

“It’s crazy to look back on now,” she says, “but I’ve been getting more land each year. A year goes by and I get another acre.”

Her connection with Williams is strong and she regards him as the perfect mentor for her. “If I have any questions, I can just ask [Williams]. He’ll know the answer better than any book,” says McNicholl. The two have grown together over the years and McNicholl regards him as a wonderful friend.

Now that Rabbit Fields Farm is in full swing, McNicholl is excited for what she’s built. “It’s become a lifestyle for me,” she notes, “Some people may think that I’m crazy to work at four in the morning but I get to do what I love.” She adds that, while farming is her passion, only those who are willing to completely commit to the farming life should consider entering the business. “I have to be pretty open-minded,” McNicholl stresses, “You can’t come into this field with high expectations or else you’ll get discouraged.” She adds that the two most important resources for the agriculturally inclined are the surrounding community and your mentors.

While the line of work is particularly consuming, McNicholl emphasizes how pleased she is with her decision to become a farmer. “There’s something really enticing about creating your own meal from scratch,” she says. Even though McNicholl doesn’t feel she encountered any hurdles in her career-path, she views agriculture itself as a hurdle. “Nobody can predict anything,” she says, “So when something isn’t going the right way I see it as a science experiment.  But a wonderful science experiment.”

In regards to anyone who may be interested in farming, she adds, “Honestly, just make sure you love it.” As 2011 has come to a close, or as McNicholl notes “the year of the rabbit,” she is very excited to begin her sixth year with Rabbit Fields Farm.

Rabbit Fields Farm is located in Everson and can be reached at (360) 393-8747. For more information, visit rabbitfieldsfarm.com/.
–Cameron Deuel

It takes care, knowledge, and attention to detail to grow Oaxacan crops in the rainy Northwest, but Nelida Martinez lacks none of these things. Pure Nelida Farm, which she runs with the help of her daughter Lizette Flores, produces Northwest herbs and garden vegetables as well as distinctive greenhouse produce typically associated with the Southwestern Mexican state and its indigenous cultures.

Nelida Martinez at the Viva farmstand. PHOTO BY AMANDA WILSON

Asked about growing Mexican crops in Washington soil, Martinez admits to some challenges. “It’s difficult, because you have to pay extra attention to temperature. It’s hard if I start late, and if I have colder weather it’s not going to grow well.” She continues, through the Spanish-to-English translation of her daughter, by explaining that  many of their crops are grown in greenhouses.

Martinez, who was born into a subsistence farming community in Oaxaca, migrated to California at 16 and spent the first decades of her adult life working in conventional agriculture. Throughout her years as a farm worker, first in California and then in the Skagit Valley, she tended her own gardens however she could, planting Oaxacan seeds in tiny doorstep gardens or windowsills.

A lifelong habit of growing traditional foods gave Martinez a strong foundation in horticulture, but it was not until her son—one of six children—fell ill that Martinez decided she must escape the exposure to agricultural pollutants that went hand-in-hand with conventional farm work. She cared for her son during his treatment for late-stage leukemia, quitting her work in commercial fields to see his treatment through to remission. She ramped up her gardening, adopting a plot in her housing complex’s community garden and growing more and more of her own family’s diet.

“A friend in charge of the garden recommended me to someone who was leasing an acre,” she says as her daughter Lizette translates. “That person connected me to Sarita who got me involved in taking classes.” These classes—bilinugal courses on sustainable small farming and ranching, offered by the Washington State University Skagit Extension in cooperation with GrowFood.org—helped Nelida qualify to sublease an acre of land at the incubator facility Viva Farms. Sarita Schaffer, director of WSU’s Latino Farming Program and the Latin America Program of GrowFood.org, helped Martinez turn Pure Nelida from a backyard enterprise to a thriving business.

Viva Farms, where Pure Nelida is growing into a thriving small business, is a place for new sustainable farms to grow from infancy to independence. It serves as a stepping-stone to land ownership, providing education, training, infrastructure, equipment, and space to qualified farmers.

The Viva farmstand is just one of several outlets for Pure Nelida produce. Chard, lettuce, salad mix, and uncommon vegetable varieties such as purple cauliflower and rainbow carrots are big sellers for the mother/daughter team, and their tomatoes (roma, beefsteak, cherry—you name it) are always a hit. Selling through farmers’ markets and to restaurants, schools, and hospitals has allowed Martinez and Flores to solidify some of their goals for the future of their business. “One of my goals when I grow more,” Martinez explains, “is to help organizations that help kids. To provide produce to others with health issues or to families who have been through [the illness of a child].”

As for Flores, her involvement in Pure Nelida grew from a desire to help her mom to a passion in its own right. “I was watching [my mom] work so hard,” Flores explains, “and I wanted to help. I started going with her, and little by little she taught me how to grow plants. I started liking them, and now it’s something that I love doing.” Asked if she intends to stay in the business as it grows at Viva Farms and beyond, she laughs. “Oh, yes! This is something we both work on very hard. We’re going to be involved for a long time.”

For more information, visit www.vivafarms.org/p/our-farmers.html.

Pure Bliss Desserts, nestled in downtown Bellingham, is known for serving high-quality desserts. Made-from-scratch desserts such as cakes, cookies, tortes, tarts and other goodies line the glass cases, and beverages including coffee and espresso, wine, beer and mead are ready to be poured. This is the kind of place you can fall in love with.
Having celebrated their first anniversary last fall, owners Andi and Nick Vann say that having their own small business based around baking is a dream come true.

Andi and Nick Vann, owners of Pure Bliss Desserts. PHOTO BY CAMERON DEUEL

“Before, I was working a really stressful job in Kirkland,” explained Andi. “Some nights I would come home and bake until one in the morning to relieve stress.”

After they married, Nick and Andi decided to move back to Bellingham to pursue catering. “Baking has always been my passion,” Andi said. “I loved working with my mother in the kitchen when I was younger. She exuded confidence that I immediately recognized and admired.”

Their catering business utilized the kitchen space in what is now Pure Bliss Desserts, although back then it was a cafe. After two and a half years, the pair were anxious to start their own bakery, specializing in desserts. “We used to imagine what our storefront would look like,” Andi remembered.

When the cafe closed, the landlord offered the Vanns the space and they were delighted to accept. “We had just returned from a trip to Italy,” Andi said, noting that they were fixated on the beautiful storefronts they saw while abroad and were excited to finally have their own.

While Andi is the driving force behind Pure Bliss Desserts’ products, Nick handles more of the marketing aspect and maintenance for the store. “I’m not too into baking but I am a very good eater,” he said with a smile, “We make a good pair.”

Nick’s participation is also somewhat limited by his career as a firefighter, although he is always helping at the store. “He is our ultimate stand-in for when none of our employees can work,” Andi said.

Although they are excited to have their own business, the duo have experienced obstacles along the way. They recognize the state of the economy and how their business may be effected but they are also taking measures to ensure that Pure Bliss Desserts stays intact. Andi’s father is very knowledgeable about small business, and they are grateful to have him as a guide, since neither of them have marketing backgrounds.

“We’ve been amazingly successful and blessed,” Nick said. “We thrive because we’re doing something we love and we’re doing it the right way.” Andi added, “Every day feels like an obstacle when you own a business. It’s a 24/7 time commitment.”

They feel fortunate to have a business in Bellingham, noting the public reaction has been very positive and they recognize that belonging to such a tight-knit community is part of their success.

Pure Bliss Desserts uses locally sourced ingredients when possible, and also offers items such as tea from Sip-T and coffee by Moka Joe. The Vanns say they wants to work with farmers and producers to incorporate more local foods as they strive to create a larger selection at Pure Bliss. “Sometimes I talk to our customers about their day and I wind up meeting farmers,” Nick said. “We’d like to reach out to them more.”

During the month of January, Pure Bliss is offering $2 lattes and other specials, and will gear up in February for Valentine’s Day, a popular holiday last year.

In addition to their varied selection of cakes and other treats, the bakery offers wedding cakes and accept orders for other special events.

Pure Bliss Desserts is clearly a business that runs on hard work and a love for creating delicious products. “We want to be known for making the best of the best,” Andi said. “No shortcuts.”

Pure Bliss is located at 1424 Cornwall Avenue in downtown Bellingham and can be reached at (360) 739-1612. Shop hours are Mondays noon to 6 p.m. and Tuesdays through Saturdays noon to 10 p.m. For more information, visit pureblissdesserts.com.

Fresh baked bread, homemade cookies and birthday cake are among the list of potential challenges for someone living gluten-free. As the knowledge and resources continue to grow, gluten-free eaters have access to a wide array of options to keep them from missing anything from pizza to doughnuts. Another resource is now available for the gluten-free, as Bellingham resident Dr. Jean McFadden Layton has co-authored a newly published book Gluten-Free Baking for Dummies.

Layton, a practicing naturopath, lives in Bellingham with her gluten-free family. Previously to entering the medical field,  she worked as a chef in New York City, giving her many angles of expertise on the topic of gluten-free living. After five years of writing a blog, Gluten-Free Doctor, Layton was approached about writing this cookbook to continue the sharing of her knowledge with others on the topic of gluten-free baking.

This cookbook is a wealth of material in a clear and concise package, not limited to the 150 recipes for baking anything from pizza dough to muffins to sourdough bread, all gluten-free.  It also provides insightful information into gluten-free living, dispelling myths about gluten-free eating as flavorless and great baking information about adapting old favorite recipes. The cookbook works off several basic mixes of various flours to use in the recipes, mixes that can be prepared in advance and kept in the kitchen for cooking. This approach keeps gluten-free baking accessible and manageable and no different from any other baking.

The book introduces basic baking minus the gluten, a key part in most baking recipes, and simply breaks down key components to recreate the recipe using other flours and ingredients. The cookbook walks the reader through baking troubleshooting and provides the necessary tips to adapt any challenges that might come up, and helps the reader understand potential problems that may occur with gluten-free baking.

The book is best read all the way through, giving a good dose of background information on the topic and then being used as a reference tool with the recipes, but without the initial read-through, the recipes won’t be as beneficial and the preliminary dose of information would be lost.

Layton has been gluten-free since naturopathic school. When her husband, Ed, broke his femur years ago, it triggered some investigation into why a healthy guy could break such a sturdy bone, Layton said, and it turned out he had at osteoporosis at the age of 47. Layton had a similar experience with her twin daughters, finding that taking the gluten out of their diet has improved their health, she said. They discovered celiac disease was the major cause. Celiac disease makes the small intestine unable to absorb calcium, causing bones to become brittle and break, Layton said.

This opened her eyes to the wide spectrum of symptoms and affects gluten can have on the body, she said. Celiac disease can correlate or mimic up to 240 different medical conditions, Layton said, which often makes it a challenge to pin point celiac as the cause, but ultimately eliminating gluten from the diet is the easiest method to rule out all the others. There are medical tests available for gluten-sensitivity and celiac disease, mostly blood tests, and more resources should be available from a doctor or naturopath. Once the gluten is taken from the diet, you feel 100 percent better, Layton said.

Upcoming events including a cooking class “Breakfast: Quick and Gluten Free” on Feb. 22 at the Cordata Co-op  from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.gfdoctorrecipes.com or follow GF Doctor and Healthy Gluten-Free Kids on Facebook.

Seed season is upon us. The holiday season has come to a close, and the winter doldrums are setting in. The countdown to spring begins, or for us serious gardeners, the countdown to St. Patrick’s Day, the day that – in addition to toasting a pint to the Irish – means planting some seeds in the ground. Particularly potatoes and peas.

I know a few people who enter the winter blues stage when they wake up the morning of Jan. 2. The Thanksgiving turkey is long gone, the Christmas tree is down, the decorations return to their storage boxes, the New Year’s Eve celebration came and went, and sadly, the egg nog in the fridge is nearly empty. It is cold outside, probably raining, and the sun seems like it hasn’t shown its face in a long time. Vitamin D? Time for a supplement. The holiday spirit has worn off, and the reality of winter has set in.

Place a watering can in the house for decoration until you can use it in the spring.

But these people are not growers, and they very well should be. Their sanity may depend on it. Seeds, and ultimately growing, are a definite cure for the winter blues, even if only temporary.

The gardeners and growers, while acknowledging the absolute miserable conditions outside, are excitedly turning pages in seed catalogs, making notes, laying out garden plans in their heads and on paper, and simultaneously crossing off and writing dates on the calendar. They are getting ready to attend seed swaps or seed parties and potlucks with friends, placing their extra seeds in containers and labeling them with green thumb love, while noting the seeds they’d like to trade for this season. They are reading books and magazines, browsing online content, searching for tips and techniques they probably already know. They are visiting local gardening centers and nurseries, taking advantage of the free workshops that offer advice, conversations and sometimes light refreshments. They have visions of sprouts and growth, and a full harvest, all just months away.

Seed swaps are great places to get seeds and rub elbows with growers of all shades of green, whether you have lots of seeds to share, or none. To find out about local swaps, inquire with your Master Gardeners and Slow Food chapters, use online chat groups or Facebook to find out more leads, and organize a small swap/potluck at your place with friends.

One public seed swap is the 4th Annual Community Seed Day called “Getting Seeds Into the Hands of the People” that takes place Sunday, Jan. 29. This is open to everyone, and bonus points for these folks – light refreshments provided AND “Basic Seed Saving” with local gardening guru Celt Schira from 2 to 3:30 p.m. All free, and fun. Attendees can bring extra store bought, packaged seeds, as well as Heirloom (non-hybrid) seeds in labeled containers and envelopes. Edible tubers or potatoes and extra envelopes to share are also welcome. Free and open to the public. The event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Majestic, 1027 North Forest Street in Bellingham. Sponsors include Sustainable Bellingham, Forest Garden, Earthcare Garden Designs, Center for Local Self-Reliance and The Majestic. For more information, e-mail seeds@sustainablebellingham.org.

Another great outing is to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show on Sunday, Feb. 12 in Seattle. Visit gardenshow.com for more information.

By early March, the Whatcom County Home & Garden Show will be at the Lynden Fairgrounds March 2-4, and the Snohomish Conservation District 27th Annual Plant Sale will be that weekend as well (see snohomishcd.org/plant-sale).

Remember, good things come to those who wait. Spring is on the way.

A steaming drink with a dipping treat during the winter is for some the seasonal equivalent of a ripe heirloom tomato in late summer (especially if the biscotti is served following a hearty winter stew with fresh baked bread). It is a simple, yet grand winter dessert, fit for a fireside chat, craft project, book reading or other activity we enjoy during the season’s down time.

For years, I had purchased biscotti from the store, unaware of what it truly consisted of, who made it, how long it sat there packaged, and where it came from. It tasted good, and even better when dipped in coffee, hot chocolate or tea.
A few winter’s ago, I decided to make my own. The container of my store-bought was empty. This finding, coupled with the fact I was beginning to take a serious interest in baking, led me to begin my search for a biscotti recipe. I can do this, I thought.

It turns out I wasn’t so good at it, at first. The first two times I attempted a recipe, I flat out burned them. I think. They were dark in color, and did not looked burned. But they sure tasted burned. I’m still not sure what happened (I blame the oven). Anyhow, the third attempt worked like a charm.

From the initial mixture of ingredients to the forming of the dough and putting it in the oven, I could see this biscotti session was going to be successful. After baking, I cut the “loaf” as specified, baking on both sides as needed. I saw that it was forming actual biscotti – they looked real and edible!

The recipe was for chocolate-almond biscotti, and except for a few changes to fit my taste, I have been using this recipe ever since. This recipe creates a sweet (but not too sweet), crunchy treat that when soaked briefly in a hot beverage is melt in your mouth goodness.

This is a good basic recipe to use, but change it to meet your taste buds. For example, I prefer to use slivered almonds in this recipe, but use chopped, or none at all, if you prefer.

I bake biscotti often, and just a couple weeks ago many went out as holiday gifts. For some friends, I dipped the biscotti in chocolate to create a dense coating dusted with coconut, others with brown sugar, and some with colored sprinkles to make the kids on the receiving end happy.

This recipe makes a fair number of pieces depending on thickness. When done, you can freeze these for easy storage (as I do), or keep them in an airtight container for up to a week.

Chocolate-Almond Biscotti

Ingredients
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1/2 to 1 cup almonds, slivered
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and chocolate together and set aside. (You can use a glass container and place inside a pot of hot water to melt ingredients.) Beat the eggs and sugar, adding in the vanilla and chocolate-butter mixture.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, and then combine with the wet mixture. (At this stage, add additional flour if the dough is too sticky.)
On a slightly floured surface, divide the dough in half. Make each half into the shape of a log (think Christmas Yule log shape), at about 3 inches by 9 inches. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. The top of the logs should feel somewhat firm and set when done.
Place the logs to cool, and reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees. Once fairly cool (cool for as long as you can), slice the logs to form half-inch thick slices. Place the slices back on the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. Then turn the pieces over and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.