Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift the first 3 ingredients (flour through salt) into a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl to blend well. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in lemon peel, vanilla, and anise. Beat in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in cranberries and pistachios (dough will be sticky).

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Gather dough together; divide in half. Roll each half into a 15-inch-long log (about 1¼ inches wide). Carefully transfer logs to the prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake logs until they are almost firm to the touch but still pale, about 25-28 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool logs on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Carefully transfer logs, still on parchment to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into generous ½-inch-thick slices. Place slices, 1 cut side down, on another baking sheet prepared with parchment paper. Bake until firm and pale golden on both sides, about 8-9 minutes per side. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

Now line the baking sheet with waxed paper. Stir chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water just until smooth. Dip 1 end of each cookie into the melted chocolate, tilting pan if necessary. Shake off excess chocolate. Place cookies on the prepared sheet. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.

Notes:
1. These can be made 5 days ahead.
2. Store in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.
3. Adapted from Epicurious.com.