I thought it was time to give a Biscotti Cookbook Update! We’ve been baking off the recipes in each chapter, as a final quality control check, and photographing them for the book. It’s been fun and I’ve had the pleasure of working with two fantastic high-school interns this summer, Caroline and Katie.
I’m very happy with the end result of four years of creating, testing, retesting, and re-retesting these biscotti. There’s been lots of tasting going on, too. I’ve taken many, many samples around to friends and family, even my hairdresser, and my husband has taken them to the office to share with colleagues. Many of whom have provided extremely helpful feedback and I’m very grateful. You’ll all be listed in the book – promise!
My dining room has become the biscotti holding area. All of my ingredients are either on the dining room table or a metal cart.
I never realized there’s an extract for almost every flavor possible! This was an important find. Flavor dissipates during baking and since the biscotti are twice baked, a good dose of extract makes flavor pop.
The finished biscotti are hidden in the dining room, though my husband managed to find them and eat a bunch before one of the photo shoots! Fortunately, there were enough left and I didn’t have to bake more. Need to put him in a room with a lock and key!
I usually make six batches in one day, which takes a good four hours. Fortunately, I have double ovens. Each recipe is set up in advance to keep production moving.
Here are some “action” photos from our Ancho Chili Chocolate biscotti.
Mixing
Rolling
Egg wash.
First bake.
Slicing
Second bake.
Cooling is an important step, especially for gluten-free biscotti. The starches need to set and the soft, melty ingredients, like chocolate, need to cool and reform. That melted chocolate right out of the oven is lava-like in texture and heat!
Once properly cooked, the biscotti loaf slices nicely into individual biscotto and retain its shape.
It takes three days to complete a chapter, another day to temper chocolate and dip some of the biscotti.
Pack it all up, label it, and get ready for another day to shoot the biscotti.
We photograph outside on our screened-in porch, which provides lots of natural light. Lately, however, we’ve been holding the inventory due to very hot and humid weather. You just can’t think when the temps and humidity are in the 90s, and those little beads of sweat running down your nose are not conducive to styling and photographing!
Here’s a shot from Chapter 7 – Nut-Free Biscotti.
The goal is to have all the quality control and photography done within the next 30 days or so and then put the text and recipes into book format. Off to the publisher prior to Thanksgiving, then editing and indexing the final manuscript after the New Year. Ideally the book will be available late winter, 2019.
Still have to think of a title for the book. The basics are: Honeypie’s Recipes: 75 Biscotti Recipes – Sweet, Savory and Gluten-Free. Any suggestions?
