Baking Biscotti

This week's Baking Beauties challenge was to make biscotti. Well, as Julia points out, any cookie in Italy is called "biscotti." What we were making is what we in North America think of when we hear biscotti. The proper name of the cookie is actually Cantuccini and it is delicious.
It is such an easy cookie to make, with little more to it than flour, sugar, eggs and whatever flavour components you want to stick in. The original Julia Child recipe calls for the addition of unblanched almonds, however, I had on hand some pistachios and cocoa nibs that I thought would be a delicious alternative.
The recipe in "Baking with Julia" makes eight dozen, so I scaled the recipe down in half. Normally, I would have made the entire thing and freeze half, but it is so easy to do, there is no need to prepare batches ahead of time.
This cookie has a great flavour and you can eat a handful without having to feel guilty. The only fat in the recipe comes from the eggs (and I guess whatever other sinful additions you make on your own accord).
The only pitfall to these tasty treats is that if you plan on serving them to guests, be prepared to also make some accompanying lattes, as these biscotti just beg to be dipped into a frothy beverage. So, dust of your espresso maker, call up some friends and ENJOY!

We're on a (Chiffon) Roll!

I have a feeling I may be one of the only Baking Beauties to complete this week's challenge. While talking with some of the other members, I could sense their panic with the lengthy recipe for the Vanilla Chiffon Roll. But, the Beauties could have relaxed. The recipe actually wasn't too tricky at all. I must admit that there was a tiny stressful moment (mixed with a very messy counter top) while I tried to roll the cake around the mousse. However, all ended very well.

The cake portion of this recipe was simple and quick; it takes only ten minutes to bake! I made a few substitutions, which thankfully, didn't compromise the quality of the finished cake. I didn't have any vegetable oil on hand, so I used olive oil. The cake took on a slightly fruity flavour because of it, which paired very well with the mousse.

The mousse was a bit more laborious than the cake portion of the recipe. I tackled the mousse in the evening, after my little bug had gone to sleep. I didn't need any extra tiny hands getting into the mix! However, since our move, not everything is where it should be. The walnuts needed for the recipe were being held hostage in Avery's closet and would not be making an appearance for this cake. I did have pistachios (my favourite) available, and decided that they were just as good (if not better) to use. Much grinding and whisking later, a deliciously rich and not overly sweet mousse was created.



As I briefly mentioned earlier, the trickiest part of the recipe was assembling the cake. The cake is thin, large and delicate. I was quite satisfied that it didn't crack when rolling it over the mousse. Of course, I had been too impatient to let the mousse firm up a bit before attempting to assemble everything, so much of it came out of the sides. It was the perfect excuse to eat up the spillage. I wrapped the assembled cake and left it in the fridge to firm up overnight.

I brought most of the cake to a Mommy playgroup, where it was gobbled up quite quickly. I was happy to hear good reviews all around. This is definitely a recipe I would try again. In the summer, I imagine it with stabilized whipped cream and fresh berries for a light and tasty dessert.