Having just made the pistachio cherry biscotti variation in Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, I couldn't resist trying the cookbook's original recipe for hazelnut cinnamon chip biscotti. The two varieties have the same base dough; the only difference is that one contains hazelnuts, cinnamon, and chocolate chips, and the other includes cherries and pistachios.
The hazelnut biscotti dough was slightly darker than the pistachio dough due to the cinnamon in the batter. I thought that the hazelnut biscotti were as pretty as the pistachio ones; I was particularly fond of the cross section of hazelnuts visible in each slice. I accidentally kept these in the oven a little too long during the second bake, so they turned out more crunchy and toasted than the pistachio biscotti.
Personally, I definitely preferred the hazelnut biscotti over yesterday's pistachio biscotti, as did Tom. In some ways, it doesn't seem like a fair fight between the two varieties, because I think that chocolate generally has a huge flavor advantage over non-chocolate ingredients. But I thought that the hazelnut biscotti had a richer, more well-rounded flavor, and I especially loved the texture and flavor of the toasted hazelnuts.
I also took an unscientific poll at my office. Some tasters professed an inability to decide between the two types of biscotti and claimed to like both equally. Others expressed that the biscotti were hard to compare, and that their preference would depend on the circumstances (e.g. whether the biscotti were eaten alone or with a specific beverage, such as coffee, tea, or milk). However, of those who expressed a preference, tasters generally liked the pistachio biscotti better than the hazelnut.
It's good to know that both variations are well worth making!
Recipe: "Hazelnut Cinnamon Chip Biscotti," from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.
Previous Post: "Time to Raid the Pistachio Stash: Pistachio Cherry Biscotti," June 1, 2011.
Personally, I definitely preferred the hazelnut biscotti over yesterday's pistachio biscotti, as did Tom. In some ways, it doesn't seem like a fair fight between the two varieties, because I think that chocolate generally has a huge flavor advantage over non-chocolate ingredients. But I thought that the hazelnut biscotti had a richer, more well-rounded flavor, and I especially loved the texture and flavor of the toasted hazelnuts.
I also took an unscientific poll at my office. Some tasters professed an inability to decide between the two types of biscotti and claimed to like both equally. Others expressed that the biscotti were hard to compare, and that their preference would depend on the circumstances (e.g. whether the biscotti were eaten alone or with a specific beverage, such as coffee, tea, or milk). However, of those who expressed a preference, tasters generally liked the pistachio biscotti better than the hazelnut.
It's good to know that both variations are well worth making!
Recipe: "Hazelnut Cinnamon Chip Biscotti," from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.
Previous Post: "Time to Raid the Pistachio Stash: Pistachio Cherry Biscotti," June 1, 2011.
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