Despite the fact that the Baking Bonanza has been in progress a couple weeks now, I actually just started my holiday baking last weekend.  This year I decided to go with the 3 Bs of Baking:  Breads, Barks, & Biscotti!  I’m using said theme to strap some boundaries around what usually turns into a big cookie catastrophe, for my kitchen anyway.  Hopefully keeping within these three categories will enable me to tie a pretty little bow around my baked gifts while still allowing some creativity.

 Merry Christmas!

We will start with biscotti aka cantucci.  For the sake of this holiday season and my Nonna from whom the base recipe comes we will call them biscotti.  The biscotti series is going to come to you in four installments, one variation per installment, and will conclude with the orginal (and best) recipe from which all the other recipes were created.  I know my mother is asking why mess with a good thing?  Well, Mommy dearest, I can only post the real deal one time and there are over 360 days in the year.  That, and you know me well enough to know I’m a meddler. 

 

What I was surprised to learn was that after many not so perfect attempts at meddling with various biscotti recipes, these actually turned out just right!  They don’t have the traditional essence of anise that make the original recipe so unique, but if you prefer or like these flavor combinations or just want to spice things up a bit these are all quite delicious!  There is a METHOD to the madness and I was happy to learn that if you keep to the basic ratios and processes defined in the original recipe, the world is your oyster! 

 


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