White Chocolate Chai biscotti

"An intensely aromatic cookie, baked to crispy perfection..."

Whether you are starting your day or ending it, these little biscotti are something to look forward to. Biscotti is an italian invention, meaning "twice baked". Although they have a very impressive appearance, they are quite easy to make-- if you can make cookies, you can make biscotti. Flavored with real chai tea, the smell of them baking will have whomever is in your house wandering into the kitchen. They are terrific dunking companions to both hot coffee or chai tea, or enjoyed just warm out of the oven.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup splenda

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 (vanilla) chai tea bags

or

1 tbsp black tea

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp allspice

(spice to taste)

and

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degress. Grease a cookie sheet.

1. Soften butter, and cream with sugar.

2. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

3. Sift flour, baking powder, and spiced tea (cut open tea bags) into wet ingredients.

4. Work the dough, which should be rather stiff, together.

5. Add in chocolate chips.

6. Divide dough in half. With clean hands, roll each loaf into a log and then flatten into a mounded shape on the baking sheet. The logs should be roughly 1 1/2 inches wide and 10 inches long, and spaced a few inches apart on the baking sheet.

7. Bake 25 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned.

8. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes.

8. With a sharp serrated knife, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.

9. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Should resemble a very dry cookie.

10. Serve with hot beverage to dunk in!

* Regular or dark chocolate chips can be substituted. I prefer the creaminess of white chocolate, as traditional chai is served with sweetened milk.

* Regular chai tea bags will work as well

* If you don't have any granulated splenda on hand, or prefer not to use it, sub it out for all natural sugar. I don't recommend using honey or agave for this recipe as it will alter the consistency and prevent the cookies from drying out properly.