D is for Dried Cherry and Almond Biscotti

Hey this looks exactly how mine turned out.... Psych!

Biscotti, in Italian, means "biscuit" or "cookie". It's root words "bis" and "cotto" literally translate into "twice" and "baked". Biscotti are traditionally eaten with a cup of coffee, like in the picture above. I myself was never a fan of biscotti, unless dunked in decadent chocolate, but I decided to give it a go, my family likes it, it looked like an easy recipe, and this project is about stepping out of your comfort zone (even if it's a small step) right? 

In short, biscotti are traditionally logs of dough, baked, sliced diagonally by hand and then baked a second time to get a firm, crunchy texture. They have been all the rage for many centuries now, because they were perfect for sailors who were at sea for long periods of time. Since they were baked twice, little moisture remained, which resisted many molds that were common out at sea. Christopher Columbus was even said to be an avid biscotti lover, who woulda thunk? 

Okay so don't make fun of me, but I'm starting this new thing where I measure out all my ingredients first so that things can go a little faster (even if it makes more dirty dishes, but thats what a dish washer is for). It makes me feel like a cool Food Network star, I'm pretty much Paula Deen's and Giada de Laurentiis' adopted Asian daughter.

Okay so after this step, the recipe says to pour the dough out onto a floured surface and form into two logs. I glance down at my dough and see a liquidey mess and I think "Well that's not going to work." Then my double identity comes out and it pretty much plays out like this:

First Kayla: I can't pour this onto the island, it's not thick enough. It will just run off onto the floor.

Second Kayla: But the recipe says so, it never lies. The recipe is the law. 

First Kayla: Umm no, this cookbook sucks, remember the Meringue incident?

Second Kayla: Yes I do, but this time will be different, I promise.

First Kayla: Okay fine, but only because you are so good-looking

So I followed Second Kayla's advice and poured the very thin biscotti dough onto the floured surface of the island in my kitchen, only to find that First Kayla was right. I tried to mold the difficult dough into a log only for it to droop back into a lifeless blob. Five minutes of frustration later, I cupped my hands and scooped up the pitiful "log" (if you could even call it that) and plopped it onto the parchment paper, very annoyed. "Wait why isn't there a picture of this step?", you ask. Hmm because my hands were completely covered in sticky biscotti dough!! Stupid Second Kayla. 

After that very dramatic climax, the recipe came together pretty easily...

Even though it wasn't as picturesque as usual, it turned out way better than I thought. Here is it after being baked for the first time.

Like I said, I am not a fan of biscotti, but I brought some into school and gave a few to one of my friends, who is an avid biscotti eater (like good ol' Christopher Columbus) and he liked them a lot!

So until next time, show off those sweet teeth and don't forget to ask "What's for dessert?"

Recipe found on Page 34 in  the Cuisinart cookbook