I have always loved biscotti, even the mass-produced kind that is individually wrapped and offered by the cash register at Starbucks. I think it's because I love crunchy things and I love nuts -- and biscotti generally deliver on both fronts.
Gail E. Aranoff took second place in the Chicago Tribune 2001 holiday cookie contest with a recipe for "Toffee Mandelscotti," which she describes as a hybrid of Jewish mandelbrot and Italian biscotti. It's an easy recipe: beat eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla until light; add sifted flour, baking powder, and salt; stir in chocolate chips and almond toffee bits; and chill for three hours. You form the chilled dough into two logs, bake them at 350 degrees, slice the logs into individual cookies, and bake the cookies a second time at 300 degrees until golden.
I like my biscotti very crunchy, so I often extend the time of the second bake to make sure that the cookies are thoroughly dried out; I did the same here. Still, the texture of the finished cookies was not crunchy. They were firm, but gave easily upon taking a bite. Because of the texture, I wasn't a huge fan -- but the flavors were terrific and my tasters raved about them.
I'm not an expert on mandelbrot, but in my experience they are generally more tender than biscotti. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this mandelbrot-biscotti hybrid was softer than biscotti. If you like a softer texture, these might be the twice-baked cookie for you! But my own personal preference is for the hard, dry variety.
Recipe: "Toffee Mandelscotti" by Gail E. Aranoff, from Holiday Cookies: Prize-Winning Family Recipes from the Chicago Tribune for Cookies, Bars, Brownies and More, recipe available here at the Chicago Tribune.
Gail E. Aranoff took second place in the Chicago Tribune 2001 holiday cookie contest with a recipe for "Toffee Mandelscotti," which she describes as a hybrid of Jewish mandelbrot and Italian biscotti. It's an easy recipe: beat eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla until light; add sifted flour, baking powder, and salt; stir in chocolate chips and almond toffee bits; and chill for three hours. You form the chilled dough into two logs, bake them at 350 degrees, slice the logs into individual cookies, and bake the cookies a second time at 300 degrees until golden.
I'm not an expert on mandelbrot, but in my experience they are generally more tender than biscotti. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this mandelbrot-biscotti hybrid was softer than biscotti. If you like a softer texture, these might be the twice-baked cookie for you! But my own personal preference is for the hard, dry variety.
Recipe: "Toffee Mandelscotti" by Gail E. Aranoff, from Holiday Cookies: Prize-Winning Family Recipes from the Chicago Tribune for Cookies, Bars, Brownies and More, recipe available here at the Chicago Tribune.
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