Biscotti

If there is one cookie that can be identified definitively with America in the last decade of the twentieth century, it is biscotti. The name biscotti means “twice-cooked” and it refers to the way these cookies are made. First the dough is formed into loaves or logs and baked. Then after these cool, they are sliced and baked again. Many nationalities have twice-baked specialties, though they tend to be a little blander than the Italian version.

Many biscotti are enriched with nuts. The recipes in this chapter don’t call for the nuts to be toasted in advance because I find that they toast quite enough during the second baking. Sometimes, as in the case of the Lemon Pistachio Biscotti, you want to avoid having them toast too much or the lovely green color gets lost.