Friday, December 29, 2006


Tis The Season To Bake Biscotti:

Veronica started it. There she stood in her virtual Test Kitchen, conjuring up an army of rich chocolate biscotti and musing over the number of eggs her squadron might contain.

After salivating over her results, I started thinking, and dug out the recipe for Mrs. Maio’s Christmas Biscotti. My former neighbor’s golden anisette biscotti – containing, count ‘em, six eggs – traveled far and wide this holiday season to great acclaim.

Now I’ve got biscotti on the brain, and I crave yet another batch. It didn’t help that Veronica gave a glowing endorsement to “Baking: From My Home to Yours” by Dorie Greenspan. I need nothing more than a lukewarm recommendation to add another cookbook to my collection. It probably took me ten seconds to order “Baking” after reading Veronica’s blog.

So, while other folks are writing up resolutions, I’m left in the waning days of 2006 exploring my inner biscotti “twice baked” soul.

I have to be different, so I turn to page 141 in “Baking” and select Lenox Almond Biscotti. I’ve always been a fan of Dorie Greenspan, and the book is gorgeous and this recipe a winner. She was given it by Tony Fortuna, the owner of the restaurant Lenox in New York City.

A couple of interesting ingredient options make Lenox Almond Biscotti a standout. There’s a half-a-cup of cornmeal included that gives the biscotti a sunny-yellow color and a nice crunch along with a cake-like flavor. The soft, chunky dough is easy to handle and shape into logs, and the almond extract and slice almonds deliver bursts of exotic flavor through the sweetness of the corn meal.

I’m feeling creative, so I follow Dorie’s “Playing Around” guidelines on page 143 and toss in a handful of dried cherries and finely minced candied ginger. The result is a beautiful and thoroughly distinctive dessert cookie that is spicy and sweet and might not make it to the holiday party this weekend!
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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

argh!! this is the 3rd time this week i have heard someone raving about dorie greenspan :D I never heard the name before but the peer pressure is becoming immense :D so many yummies!

Anonymous said...

T.W. ,I'm glad you got Dorie's book, there are many cool recipes on there. I think it's gonna have a food blogger cult following soon.My friend just asked me to make more biscotti so you are right that this is the season for it. Your biscottis look awesome and I'm sure equally delicious!

Patricia Scarpin said...

I have to say that I'll have to bake biscotti for the first time ever tks to you and this wonderful photo! ;D

tasteofbeirut said...

There was a time when I used to bake biscottis every week! Next time I will try it with cornmeal sounds like a great idea. Like your idea of adding ginger too.

btw, you said you never heard of sardine hummos, the answer is simple that's because I came up with it my friend!