Black Pepper and Fig Biscotti

My mother makes these at christmas time and they are, in a word FANTASTIC, sweet with just the tiniest bite from the pepper.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 2  cups flour
• 2  teaspoons fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 2  eggs
• 2  egg whites
• 1  cup dried fig, finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing well to distribute the butter. Add the dry ingredients and mix until almost smooth. Stir in the figs.
3. Working on a floured surface, shape the dough into 2 logs, 14 inches long, by 1 1/2 inch thick. Place logs on a cookie sheet coated with baking spray, at least 4 inches apart and flatten to 1/2 inch high. Bake for 18 - 23 minutes, until firm. Cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, reduce the oven to 300 degrees.
4. Using a serrated knife, slice the cooled loaves into diagonal slices, 1/2 inch wide. Stand them on the cookie sheet with some space around each one and bake for 30 minutes until crisp. Cool completely before storing.
5. Notes: I like mission figs for this recipe, better than the calmryna ones. Also, I always eat the four end pieces while I'm baking the rest of the slices for the second time.