chai biscotti

there are two things i've recently discovered that my mother in law loves: chai and pistachio biscotti. so much so that last christmas when i was in oklahoma, we made both! it was only a matter of time before i put the two together...and shipped them off for mother's day!

chai biscotti sounds like something someone, somewhere, at some point has already made. already figured out. but if they have, it's hiding since i wasn't able to find any. sure, there are plenty of chai cookies - most of them spiced, but missing the black tea. so i winged it, spicing up the dough and adding loose black tea. yes, it sounds odd. but yes, it works. these are definitely keepers!

chai biscotti
1 hour, makes 24

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 black tea bags, cut open and the tea loose (i like Tazo Awake)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1. preheat your oven to 350F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. using a mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. add the eggs one at a time, then the sugar, spices, and tea. mix until creamed. add the baking powder and salt and mix until combined. add the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until incorporated.
3. divide the dough roughly in half (eyeball it). using your hands, roll each half into a log about 12 inches long. lay the log on the sheet pan and gently push the log down until it is about 3/4 inch high. bake for about 35 minutes, or until the tops are just starting to crack and brown.
4. let the logs cool on the pan for about five minutes and then transfer to a cutting board. using a bread or other serrated knife, cut each log into about 3/4 inch pieces. lay the pieces back on the sheet pan, bottom side down, leaving room between the cookies. bake an additional 12 minutes, or until the sides feel dry to the touch.
5. cool on a cooling rack and store in an airtight container.