These traditional Italian cookies are baked twice for extra crispness?dip them into a cup of coffee for an afternoon treat. If you prefer, you may substitute macadamia nuts or pecans for hazelnuts.



1-1/2 cups toasted and skinned hazelnuts: 1/2 cup finely chopped, 1 cup coarsely chopped

1 cup Atkins Bake Mix

16 packets sugar substitute

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sour cream

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1-1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup dried cherries

Heat oven to 350*. Whisk together finely chopped hazelnuts, bake mix, sugar substitute, cinnamon and salt. In a medium bowl mix sour cream, and eggs.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter 3 minutes until creamy. Alternately add bake mix mixture and sour cream mixture to butter. Stir in cherries and coarsely chopped hazelnuts.

Divide the dough in half. On ungreased baking sheets form each dough half into a log measuring 12" x 2 1/2" (moisten hands if necessary to keep dough from sticking).

Bake logs 25 minutes, until almost firm. Transfer sheets to wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325'F.

Carefully cut logs crosswise, with a serrated knife, into 1/2" wide slices. Arrange slices on baking sheets. Bake 15 to 17 minutes until firm and crisp. Cool slices on baking sheets before storing.

Servings: 40

Prep time: 25 minutes

Bake/Cook time: 40 minutes

Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Serving Size: 50

5 eggs

1-1/2 cups Splenda

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

1-1/2 cups oil

6 cups almond meal flour

Chopped pecans 1-1/2 cups, optional

Slivered almonds 1 pkg, optional

Semisweet LC chocolate chips 6 oz

Beat eggs, Splenda, baking powder till thick. Add cinnamon, vanilla, almond extract and mix well. Slowly pour in oil while beater is going.

Mix in almond flour till it is stiff dough. Mix in nuts and chocolate chips if you want them. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and make 4 long logs in a jelly roll pan.

Bake at 350'F-180'C for 40 minutes, take out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes or so, then slice them as thin as you can and they don't fall apart. Lay them out face down on the pan and bake for 12 minutes more to get crispy.

For a slightly different texture, form the dough into 4 logs, slice it when raw, and then bake the cookies for 40 minutes at 350'F-180'C.

Per Serving: 133 Calories

6 carbs