Judy's cocoa cake

This is a family recipe...I think? Though I don't know why it's "Judy's"...
My mom made it for my birthday for the first ten or so years of my life, so it's somewhat of a tradition in any case. It's got a nice, deep chocolate flavor.

Makes 2 9" round layers.

Ingredients
2 c sugar
3/4 c butter
1/2 c cocoa
2 c flour
1 t vanilla
1 c cold coffee (instant mixed with water works as well)
1 t baking powder
2 eggs, well beaten
1 t baking soda dissolved in 1/2 c warm water

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Mix cocoa & sugar and cream them with the butter.
3. Sift together the baking powder and flour.
4. Add flour mixture and coffee alternately to the butter mixture.
5. Add eggs, vanilla, water & baking soda last.
6. Pour into two greased 9" round pans.
7. Bake for 30 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Half-Baked Biscotti

This is my grandmother's biscotti recipe, which comes out rather soft and fluffy. I suppose if you want to double-bake them (broil for ten minutes) to make them hard like ordinary biscotti, you can. However, I always ate them this way at Grandma's house, with apple juice in tea-cups.

Biscotti (Ada Bommarito's recipe)

6 c. flour
6 eggs
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. brandy

Sift dry ingredients. Soften butter, then beat in eggs, vanilla and brandy. Mix wet and dry ingredients, adding brandy or lemon juice if too firm. Knead until glossy.

Separate into three balls, and roll out the length of cookie sheet, 2" wide, 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 350 deg.F for 25 minutes. Let cool, then slice diagonally.

Enjoy!