PINK LADY APPLE BISCOTTI WITH BLOOD ORANGE

Makes about 2 dozen
 
1½ cups (sifted then measured) all-purpose flour
½ cup old-fashioned oats, coarsely chopped in food processor
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cardamom
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
2 cups peeled and diced Pink Lady apples
2 teaspoons blood orange zest
1½ cups walnuts
 
egg wash made from 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk or cream
 
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, salt, baking powder and spices. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, lightly beat the sugars, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients. Stir in the apples, zest and walnuts. This is a sticky batter; flour your hands and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 logs, about 1½” wide, about ¾” thick. Place each log on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each log of biscotti with the egg wash. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden and still a bit soft in the middle. You can turn the oven off. Remove the biscotti from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes; this makes slicing much easier. Turn the oven back on, preheating it to to 325 degrees F.
 
Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the biscotti into slices about ½” thick. Set them on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for another 15 minutes, until crispy. Don’t over bake. When cool, store in a cookie tin or cookie jar.