Roger's View of the World, Love and Seafood Gumbo!
Seize the Day! Put no trust in the morrow! — Horace
Biscotti has become one of our family staples for two reasons: first Biscottis can be manipulated to be reasonable on a calorie basis; secondly, they go great with our preferred beverage, coffee; lastly, making Biscottis isn’t as challenging as one might think and offers an opportunity to experiment. So, I added two favorite items Brazil Nuts and Macadamia nuts and this equals a buttery heaven.
enjoy, I did!
Roger
I love to tinker on many things. I find great solace in trying to solve the secrets of the universe… like how to make the perfect Biscotti? I have found using vanilla extract makes a biscotti have a ‘funny’ after taste… while using an entire vanilla bean — or two — is wonderful, but indulgent.I really don’t like plain Biscottis and those dipped in various chocolates are more of a dessert than something light with coffee. My preference is for nuts and Pistachios and Brazil nuts seems the most fun.
Here is my Biscotti recipe with some of the tweaks noted.
enjoy,
Roger Freberg
Creating a Biscotti recipe isn’t like a normal recipe because it is one of those wonderful things that was designed not to ‘stand alone.’ I don’t know about you, but I would never eat a Biscotti by itself as it would be somewhat drab and way too dry…. but let’s not dwell. When you dip a good Biscotti in coffee , it comes alive!
My daughters have been asking me to bake up some Biscotti with Brazil Nuts ( which tastes interestingly enough like other wonderfully caloric nuts — Cashews and Macadamia nuts, for example — when baked). But I was looking for more than just another buttery Biscotti. I wanted something with a little bit more ‘zing’ and Pistachios — I thought — might just do the trick. This worked. So, I also made a bit more ‘sticky’ batter ( with a little more corn starch and a potato flour mixture) that seemed to hold it all together. Oh yes, it was good in the ‘test kitchen.’
Ah, now to coffee!
Roger Freberg
PS. click for the basic recipe on the picture above.
Nothing like having a hot and creamy cup of coffee and dipping a homemade biscotti in it! I have tried and experimented with lots of variations, but I like my original Macademia nut recipe best. I’ve tweaked the recipe here and there and often add a few extra things from time to time… like a little potato flour… but it is all good.
This week Laura and I took a little time to enjoy Los Angeles at ‘El Cholo’s’ and also managed to help our daughters with a few of their travel plans. We were able to run their visa paperwork for them. This year they will be going to the Reputation Institute’s Convention in Rio de Janeiro. The folks at the Brazilian Consulate were very efficient and the women working there were – let’s just say– attractive. I asked my daughters to bring me a t-shirt! 😉 With so many people ‘hunkering down’ in this tough economy, it is refreshing to see young people trying to make more of their life and build for their future. This is a lesson we all can learn.
Someone asked what I was doing lately… having a little fun on life’s journey. I hope you do too.
Roger Freberg
When my children were young, I would have been very happy to have had a cookie jar like this one! Although it sounds large ( 5 or 6 quarts) which it would be if it happened to be a cooking pot, as a cookie jar it is just right! Actually, I bought it to hold some store bought biscotti… but more importantly my home made Biscotti! (the picture above is linked to where I bought the jar)
Laura is very attached to a classic chicken cookie jar that is very… cute… but totally inadequate to house even one day’s supply of baking for all the cookie monsters in our house. We really needed something like this… and even though we found it late… it is getting well used! I could even imagine a counter lined with these jars each containing a different cookie or snack…. but , unfortunately, no room for that luxury.
Here is my Biscotti recipe, again.
Have some Biscotti with your coffee today!
Roger
