I went through a phase a couple years ago, when I was unemployed and had plenty of free time to bake, where I made a lot of biscotti for Dave. He doesn’t usually like to bring treats to work to share with coworkers, but he got in the habit of bringing a couple extra biscotti every day to give to his boss.
His boss was impressed with the almond biscotti. Then a week later, I made the same recipe, substituting hazelnuts and dried cherries for the almonds. But I was experimenting with different methods for the second bake, and they didn’t get as crunchy.
Dave’s boss said: “Too much egg, I think. Last week’s was better, almost perfect; this week’s needs work.”
Huh? Too much egg? He might be an expert in contaminant migration, but he doesn’t know squat about biscotti.
I made these shortly after the batch with “too much egg.” Mindful of recent complaints about biscotti that was too soft in the middle, I erred on the crunchy side and left the biscotti in the oven, with the heat turned off and the door propped open, for half an hour after the recommended baking time.
There were no complaints this time, although I did think they were a little crumbly and difficult to roll into logs (maybe they needed more egg?). Not only were the biscotti hard enough to dip into coffee, but the rich chocolate flavors were brought out by the dark espresso overtones. Jacque chose this recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie, and she has it posted.
One year ago: Dressy Chocolate Cake
Two years ago: Honey Peach Ice Cream
Three years ago: Cappuccino Cream Puff Rings
Wow, I’m glad the people I bring baked goods to aren’t critical! I haven’t made too many types of biscotti but these were pretty good! I added dried cherries and that was a big flavor boost.
Yeah. It was funny watching the evolution of my boss’s reactions. At first it was “Wow, these are great”. Then “Hmmm, needs more egg.” Then, finally, “Actually, I prefer pie. She makes pie, right?.” Yes sir.
Such pretty photos. Glad Dave’s boss is appreciative and all. 😉
wow, you’ve got a biscotti critic/connoisseur on your hands 🙂 nice job!
Buttercreambarbie
Really nice pics. I’ll love to try them.
I wonder if the critique is easier to give when the baker isn’t there in person? All I know is that I have NEVER critiqued any gift of homemade baked goods. I would certainly never turn these down: Too much egg or not enough sounds great to me!
Yum, Bridget! These look incredible!
Love the epicurean boss. I have a friend who loves coming and eating my food but thinks nothing about informing me that a dish needs more lemon or the sauce isn’t thick enough. Meanwhile, everything he cooks for himself comes from the freezer section of Trader Joe’s.
I definitely need SOMEONE to take goodies too, But maybe not HIM!! Ah, well, Those do look tasty!!