This recipe came from a cookbook in the Saskatoon Public Library. I borrowed the cookbook as a pretext for an informal interview with a library clerk at the check out counter. Her husband was one of the sexual harassers at the Dairy Producers Co-op in town. The case involved two women on the ice cream novelty line, and was settled before it went to public tribunal at the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. The company and the union (Teamsters) were found responsible for sexual harassment, the two women got their jobs back. They only lasted a couple of months because of the chilly climate at the plant due to their complaints. I did talk to the woman clerk who denied her husband played any role in the harassment.

I made these in memory of my mother — Dr Ruth Dexter– a dentist and feminist. I used to send these to her by mail, in a used Triscuit or cereal box.

Years later I helped to found Equity Watch, because of helping the two women with their human rights case in the early 1990s.

Oh– this recipe was in a tattered paperback cookbook. I never noted its title. I scribbled the recipe on a page I tore from a desk calendar — Sunday 12 Aug 2001.

You can cut this recipe in 1/2 easily.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees

1 c. almonds
4 Tbsp butter
¼ c. avocado oil or good olive oil
4 large eggs
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2 c. spelt flour (I like spelt but use any kind of flour)
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp salt
½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. First toast the nuts for 5 – 8 min. in the oven. Then put them in a food processor and chop them not too finely. Dump them into a soup bowl. Set aside.
2. Then put butter, oil and sugar in the food processor and mix till smooth. Add eggs. And mix briefly. Dump this into a big bowl.
3. Add to the mixture in the big bowl the 2 c. flour, the vanilla, the baking powder and salt. Also put in the chopped nuts. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
4. Then fold in ½ c. semi sweet chocolate chips. And mix gently.
5. Use parchment paper, or grease cookie sheets.
6. Make four or so small logs then pop them in the oven (at 350F) for 30 min.
7. Take out the logs and let cool maybe 15 min. Then angle slice each log into 8 or 10 biscotti and pop the biscotti slices back on the cookie sheets into the oven for 10 min.
8. Then turn oven off and let the cookies sit in oven to dry out (another 10 min. or 15 min.)