By Richard Sax
Published 1994
Biscotti means “twice cooked.” These simple rusk-type biscuits (the English form of the same word, derived from the French biscuit., which also means “twice cooked”) have been baked in Italy for centuries. Biscotti are generally made by cutting a baked strip of dough into slices and then returning the slices to the oven for a second baking until crisp. (Some biscotti, however, do crisp in only one baking.)
In Italy, the word biscotti is also used generically to refer to all sorts of small crisp cookies. Recently, biscotti have been riding something of a fashion wave. Their shape and sturdy twice-baked texture invite dunking into morning cappuccino or café au lait or into a sweet wine like Vin Santo.
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