Bring Back Biscotti

For years I have scoffed at biscotti. Why would you bake or buy a cookie so hard that the only way to even taste it is by dipping it into even more calories? If you try to scarf biscotti you will break your teeth. Aren't cookies innately for scarfing?!

And here in comes my change of mind. Maybe....some cookies are for savoring, not scarfing. I found myself so curious, after the breaking of this new consideration, to experiment. Biscotti is a cookie created for eating slowly, for mingling flavors, and for interactive eating. What a mature cookie!

For those of you, like me, who are bad with recipes but good with food spontaneity, it is easy to get stuck in a food rut. I start to use only ingredients and cooking skills that I already know. So, though I'm not really comfortable doing it, I make myself use a recipe every now and again. This time, biscotti was the goal.

I made two recipes from this page on NPR : Not All Biscotti Are Created Equal. The page also outlines some tips and cookie history. (Side note I halved each of these recipes and used really strong coffee instead of the coffee extract.)

Maple Walnut Biscotti with Maple Icing

 Chocolate Dipped Espresso Biscotti with Kahlua Icing

And I love them. The flavors mix a little differently every time to dip it. Use coffee or milk!

They are so good, I've made grand plans for them:

1. Coffee bar for girls small group gathering.
2. Boozy coffee night with girl friends.
3. New Years gifts to neighbors.

I'm not sure, but I think it's time to bring biscotti back. The cookie of the mature pallet :)