Biscotti is a twice-baked Italian biscuit. The "twice-baked" aspect is what seemed daunting to me. Every time I took a bite of a biscotti from a bakery, restaurant or store, I was in envy of the baker behind the product. How difficult can it be?
Ingredients in my kitchen led to my choice of a recipe. I had almonds and dried cherries on hand. Finding a Williams-Sonoma® recipe for hazelnut and dried cherry biscotti was close enough. I didn't want to go out and purchase more ingredients, so I substituted almonds for the hazelnuts. Other than the substitution, I followed the recipe, adjusting my oven temperature down by twenty-five degrees to use the convection baking option.
I was so pleased with the results! There was nothing difficult about baking biscotti except for allowing the amount of time to cool between baking. The tasty slices stored well but didn't last long as my husband and I enjoyed the biscotti with our coffee...that I can no longer drink...but, that's another story. I now drink decaffeinated ginger tea for breakfast.
Go ahead and bake a batch of biscotti!
(All photos were taken with my iPhone. Click any photo to view enlarged in a slideshow.)
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| Biscotti after first baking. I used parchment paper on a cookie sheet. |
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| After cooling, cut slices diagonally and turn on sides. Bake for the second time. |
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| Let biscotti cool again. Shake off loose crumbs and store in airtight container. |
| Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons. |
Due to a leg tendon injury, my gardening is limited to about 30 minutes at a time, so I've not done much since assisting Richard with the gravel. The weather is incredible!
ReplyDeleteMy sister does Biscotti, I haven't tried it. Hazelnut and dried cherries sounds wonderful. I have gotten into using Silpat mats for my baking, very nice to use! My daughter (NC) makes scones every Sunday and got me into using the mats.
ReplyDeleteYou take care of that leg, don't over do!! Sit and watch Richard do anything that needs done. :-)
I've never tried this, but your pictures and description are tempting.
ReplyDeleteDear Freda ~ I sure hope your leg heals up soon.
FlowerLady
Good job!! I don't blame your husband for chowing down on these with his coffee-they look to be the perfect accompaniment to coffee.
ReplyDeleteJanet - I've not tried the Silpat. I love to bake scones! I have a lavender scone and a cranberry scone recipe on my blog under the "food" label.
ReplyDeleteFlowerLady - Baking is such a relaxing thing for me as well as creative. I think you'll find biscotti easy and they do store well.
Tina - we don't eat many sweets, but biscotti is a weakness. Even if I don't bake it, we have the mini-biscotti from Trader Joe's in the pantry!
Cameron,
ReplyDeleteHope you heal quickly! I have made biscotti 3-4 times love them freshly cooked and weeks old. I drink ginger tea often, lemon ginger a lot more often. You can make it with straight ginger also.
Randy - I can keep the inflammation/pain down with icy hot and prescription naproxen. The doctor says these things take a very long time to heal. So, I'm mobile but can't do anything to aggravate the tendon. I had to go off of caffeine due to an acute attack of gastritis that sent me to the ER on Valentine's Day. Noooo...I'm not getting old! :-)
DeleteWow those look really yummy Freda! I might have to give that recipe a try. :)
ReplyDeleteBiscotti, biscuit to the French, twice cooked. Yum. Needs a glass of Vin Santo.
ReplyDeleteI made biscotti for the first time last year - I think it was a milk chocolate biscotti. I want to make it again this year. I thought it was going to be difficult but wasn't bad to make at all.
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