Long before I hear the first Christmas music, long before the shop put up decorations, long before holiday ads appear in the newspaper, I am in biscotti mode. I am already reasoning about the gift biscotti I will make. There are dozens of recipes in my files and they are so good it is hard to conclude which flavors to make.
Cranberry biscotti with walnuts or almonds is an old favorite. The method was on a box of dried cranberries I bought years ago. Since then, the method seems to have disappeared and I am glad I still have it. Orange biscotti with mini chocolate chips is someone else family favorite. I adapted a basic biscotti method and, to bring out the orange flavor, added orange zest and extract.
Holiday
Baking biscotti is fun and if you have never made it, I hope you will try at least once. Make some for yourself and some to give away. Why is biscotti a thoughtful gift?
First, you have hundreds of recipes to pick from. This means you can customize the biscotti. Let's say Aunt Edith loves chocolate. You can make chocolate biscotti with chocolate chips for her. Uncle Fred may love almond and you can make almond biscotti for him.
Second, you can make this Italian "cookie" ahead of time. Biscotti keeps for weeks, so if you want to stir up a batch weeks before Christmas, go ahead and do it. Keep in mind, though, that the flavor may fade a bit. I add an extra half teaspoon of excerpt to ensure good flavor.
Third, you can vary the size. Market biscotti tends to be five to six inches long. Homemade biscotti can be long or you can make mini biscotti that fit on a saucer. The size you make also depends on the storage container.
Fourth, you can make biscotti festive with colored sugar, multi-colored sprinkles, white chocolate drizzle, chocolate frosting, chocolate "shot," or large sugar crystals. Sprinkles are easiest, but I prefer to frost my biscotti. Make sure the frosting has set wholly before you box the cookies. To speed setting, I put the baked and frosted biscotti in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
Fifth, you can find beautiful packaging for your beautiful gift. I've purchased decorative jars at the grocery store, practical jars with wide-mouth lids at allowance stores, and plastic packaging are kitchen contribute stores. Stuff wax paper colse to the cookies if you are mailing them. Comprise the method if you wish.
Sixth, a homemade gift says "I'm reasoning about you." The recipient can feel the love and care you put into your baking. Market biscotti is good, but homemade is better.
This year, instead of buying gift containers, I'm re-using tins from Italy that used to Comprise almond cookies. The tall red tins are festive and the family members who receive the biscotti may use the tins to store crackers, cookies, cookies, and pasta. Stumped on holiday gifts? Bake some biscotti for those you love and care about. Every sweet bite will remind them of you.
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson
Six Reasons to Bake Homemade Biscotti for Holiday Gifts
No comments:
Post a Comment