Dried-Cherry Biscotti

2 1/2 c All-purpose flour

1 c Granulated sugar

1/2 ts Baking soda

1/2 ts Baking powder

1/2 ts Salt

3 Eggs

1 ts Vanilla

2/3 c Dried cherries (less than a

-3-oz Package); chopped 1 c Ground almonds

Recipe by: St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3/31/97 Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until dough is formed. Stir in cherries and almonds. Turn the dough out on lightly floured surface and knead several times. Using the greased cookie sheet as a surface, divide the dough in half. Form into two flat logs, each about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Place baking sheet on a rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 325 degrees. On a cutting board, cut the logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Put back into oven for 5 minutes, with cut side of cookies facing up. Turn cookies; bake 5 more minutes. Remove from cookie sheet; let cool on baking rack. Store in an airtight container. By Nicki Dwyer - Excerpted From Mary Engelbreit`s Home Companion. Nicki Dwyer is food editor of Mary Engelbreit`s Home Companion. -----