Tuesday, October 14, 2008

TWD: Biscotti Adventures


It's funny how a split second decision can make such a difference.

Consider this week's TWD challenge, Lenox Almond Biscotti, a recipe chosen by Gretchen Noelle of Canela & Comino. Now, I've made biscotti before, anise-flavored almond ones that hung around for over a year before the last one was consumed. A hardy bunch they were.


Reading the play around tips, I decided to customize my cookies. I made pistachio-cherry-lime biscotti, using a fresh lime from my tree and some lime oil in place of the almond extract. The dough turned out perfectly.



I then transformed it into a squarish log on the baking sheet, and was just about to slide it into the hot oven, when I decided to take its photograph.



A split second decision.


In the middle of snapping the photo, the power went out.


So, there I stood, in the dusk of the evening, staring at ready-to-bake cookie dough and an oven with no power.

I told myself that it could have been worse -- the cookies could have already been in the oven, partially baked. What then?


Quickly, I shoved the pan inside the dark refrigerator, then went in search of matches and candles, prepared for the long haul as darkness descended.


About an hour later, the power suddenly was restored. Of course, I had to re-heat the oven, but at least I wasn't dealing with half-baked cookies. Like most others, the first round of baking took longer than the 15 minutes stated. I added another 10 minutes to the time; the cookie log was just beginning to turn golden. After a 30 minute cooling time, I sliced them into 3/4" pieces, then popped them back into the oven for about 20 minutes. The biscotti firmed up nicely as they cooled.



I really liked the end result better than the previous recipe I had used. While hard, they weren't rock hard and the flavor combination was delicious. You'll have a chance to read about more flavor choices and baking adventures if you check out the Tuesdays with Dorie blog.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

you probably inadvertently did the very thing that saved your dough: chilled it! mine spread, as did so many others', and i'd decided that next time i'm going to chill the dough before baking it. yours look so good!

Marthe said...

Your biscotti adventure turned out great: they look amazing!!

Pamela said...

Sounds like everything worked out for you, and that's good. I enjoyed this recipe, too. I liked that they weren't hard as rocks. Your additions sounds great.

Engineer Baker said...

What a trooper, lack of power and everything! Love the variation, it sounds delicious.

Audrey said...

I guess it makes sense that biscotti would be the perfect cookies to survive a power outage in mid-baking! But I'm glad that you weren't disappointed. This was my first time with biscotti, and these were so good!

Megan said...

When in doubt, save the dough!! Ha, ha. I absolutely love the flavor combo - cherry lime sounds delicious!!

kimberly salem said...

i think the chill helped your dough, they look perfect! great job, and the flavor sounds delicious!

chocolatechic said...

I really enjoyed the texture of these.

Great decision to take the picture.

Anonymous said...

You did the right thing by chilling the dough. And I hear you on the anise biscotti. I have a love-hate relationship with anise.

NKP said...

Good save!
I am glad they worked out for you in the end. They look great.

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Grand flavors Judy! How nice of the power to return.

Libby said...

These are so cute! So puffy and tasty looking!

Shelby said...

LOVE the pistachio cherry lime flavor!

Christine said...

Love the pic of the perfect square. Glad everything worked out for you!

Nancy/n.o.e said...

I did cherry with grapefruit, but truth be told, your lime flavor sounds much better (I was out of limes!) Great biscotti - good job persevering through lack of power.
Nancy

Anonymous said...

I love the cherry lime variation. It sounds yummy. Looks like you got a perfect crunch too.

TeaLady said...

The vagaries of modern society. Electric outage. Hnh! But the biscotti look great. Tasty job.

Bungalow Barbara said...

Great flavor idea! You have your own lime tree...I'm so envious...

Anne said...

Wow- I'm glad they worked out despite the power problems! They look perfect!

Gretchen Noelle said...

I love the flavor combo you chose and you are kind of lucky to have had the power go out on you! These seemed to spread out to no end for so many of us! Great job!

~Kimberly said...

Oh no! Power outage! That is my biggest fear when I'm baking....well, besides a total flop recipe. But looks like it all turned out great!

Heather B said...

They look delicious! I love all the variations everyone has come up with!

Unknown said...

That sounds like a delicious flavor combination!

LyB said...

That flavor combo sounds just incredible!