FRUITED NUT BARS (BISCOTTI)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Place nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake nuts for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Remove from oven and let cool. Chop into hearty sized pieces.
• Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add in vanilla extract and eggs.
• In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and spices
• In a third bowl, sprinkle a tablespoon of the flour mixture on top of the dried fruit and mix together. (This helps to keep the fruit from clinging together in a lump).
• Combine the rest of the flour into the butter, sugar and eggs. Fold in the fruit and nuts by hand.
• Divide the dough into two.
• On a greased, sprayed or lined cookie sheet place half the dough spreading out into a log 1/2 inch high, 1 1/2 inches wide and about 14 inches long. (Keep your ends a little squared off so you don't have itty bitty dried cookies from the end.) Repeat with second log allowing space between for the two logs to expand.
• Bake in the middle section of the oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned (also at 325 degrees). Let sit for a minute then remove to a rack for 5 minutes.
• Place logs on cutting board and using a serrated knife cut log into 1/2 inch pieces at a slight (45 degree) angle. Place the slices back onto the cookie sheet cut side up. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
• Allow cookies to completely cool before storing in a tightly covered tin. Stored well biscotti will last for a week or two.