Fig and Walnut Biscotti

When I was a kid, Mom made biscotti only at Christmas time. They were never my favorites only because they weren't covered in chocolate. Now I consider biscotti more of an everyday cookie. Biscotti are great when you want to satisfy a sweet tooth without the guilt. Two of these little lovelies have 179 calories and only 6 grams of fat! The dried fruit and nuts give a nice boost of fiber too.

Makes 30 cookies
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp coarse salt
3/4 tsp fennel seed
1 tbsp orange zest
1 cup coarsely chopped dried figs(I prefer Black Mission Figs)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts.
3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325. In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, fennel and orange zest. Stir in the figs and walnuts. In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the eggs until they can hold a ribbon for 1 second. This may take up to 5 minutes. Mix the eggs into the dry ingredients until combined. Don't be afraid to use your hands for this. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment. If using parchment, spray it with some cooking spray. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Spray your hands with cooking spray and form each half into logs about 2 inches in width. Bake the logs for 25 minutes or until the dough is firm but gives slightly. Transfer the logs to a wire rack and cool for about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven to 300. Slice the logs on the diagonal and place the cookies, cut side up onto lined baking sheets. Bake again for 7 minutes on one side, then flip each cookie and bake again for 7 minutes on the other side. Cool completely and store in an air-tight container for about 1 week.