Orange Pecan Biscotti

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toast pecans in a microwave oven for two minutes. Finely chop pecans and set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Cream sugar and softened butter together in a separate bowl until fluffy. Add vanilla extract, orange zest, and egg to sugar mixture. Add dry ingredients, including pecans, and fold in until thoroughly blended.

On a cookie tray covered with waxed paper, form the dough into a 3-inch by 12-inch log. Remove the waxed paper and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool for ten minutes, then slice diagonally and place on the cookie sheet cut-side down. Bake for another 20 minutes at 300 degrees, then turn the oven off and leave the biscotti in the oven for one to two hours until crunchy.

Store biscotti in an air-tight container.