FIG AND FENNEL BISCOTTI by Lalla

Ingredients

21⁄2 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons fennel seeds 1 teaspoon cinnamon,ground 1 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 1⁄4 cup olive oil zest from 1⁄2 orange 2 large eggs, roomtemperature 1 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted 1⁄2 cup dried figs, roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar, olive oil, and zest.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition.
Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Fold in hazelnuts and figs.
Pour dough onto baking sheet and shape into a 12x5” rectangle.
Place in the oven and bake 20–25 minutes until edges are pale golden and center is set.
Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 300oF.
Transfer loaf to cooling rack and let cool 15 minutes.
Using a serrated knife, cut biscotti into 1⁄2” slices.
Arrange biscotti, cut side down.
Bake again until dry and lightly golden. This will take about 20 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.