Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Tuesdays with Dorie: Lenox Almond Biscotti

Biscotti is something I've eaten a few times but not something I've sought out and I've never made it either. I really prefer soft baked goods rather than crunchy ones but I was still more than happy to try making it myself. The biscotti was chosen by Gretchen of Canela & Comino.
The best thing about putting together the biscotti was how wonderful the dough smelled. Almond extract is one the best baking smells ever. In addition to the sliced almonds the recipe called for I added chopped dried cherries. After I made the dough I refrigerated it overnight, only because I didn't want to make it until the morning. In the morning after being refrigerated overnight it had set and wasn't rock solid but it was a little easier to work with.

I baked it for the 15 minutes Dorie calls for and when I pulled it out it wasn't done enough so I ended up leaving it in for about 12 more minutes. After I pulled the slabs of dough out and cooled them for 30 I sliced them into the biscotti shape. In the book Dorie says to stand them up straight on the baking sheet when you bake them the second time but mine weren't standing up. Instead I laid mine on a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet so both sides would be done evenly.
In the end I enjoyed the biscotti and the husband liked it do. It was extremely good dunked in a cup of coffee. I'm still not 100% sold on the hard/crunchy cookie but I would probably make the biscotti again. Especially since there are so many options for flavoring, I would love to try dried cherries and chocolate chips or maybe Earl Grey flavored biscotti.I'm really looking forward to next week's recipe, Pumpkin Muffins. I adore almost anything pumpkin flavored so I'm sure these are going to be a hit.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

i agree.....wasn't the smell just heavenly?! your biscotti look great!

Prudy said...

They look wonderful. Cherries and chocolate chips would be great here. Now I want to try that...

Engineer Baker said...

Earl Grey biscotti would be delicious. Great looking biscotti.

Pamela said...

I am all about soft cookies, too. If it's too hard, it's just not enjoyable for me, nor is it worth the calories. These were okay, though. Mine weren't too crunchy and I really liked them dipped in chocolate.

kimberly salem said...

i heart almond extract too :) great idea to put them on the cooling rack on the sheet! i underbaked mine a tad so they were still a little chewy in the middle -- just my preference.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant idea by putting them on top of the baking rack! I wish I had thought of that! They look fantastic!

Anonymous said...

Your biscotti turned out perfect, nice and golden brown. I loved this recipe and plan to make it again, they were so good.

Gretchen Noelle said...

You did well on these. I agree the Earl Grey flavor sounds delicious! Great job!

The Food Librarian said...

Yum! Delicious. I love that photo with your drink...a perfect dunking moment!

Anonymous said...

Ooh, both variations you talk about sound so good. I'm thinking these will make great holiday gifts.

Shari said...

I think these biscotti are so wonderful dipped in coffee. Love that photo!

Bungalow Barbara said...

I love your flavor ideas! And hey, check out Prudence Pennywise for a recipe for pumpkin biscotti!