23 December 2010

Piu' Biscotti / More Biscotti

Visible signs of the heavy snowfall less than a week ago melted away with our current heatwave (60° F) and rain, but evidence that someone has been baking in the kitchen is apparent with flour and cookie crumbs on the table, countertops, and floor.  So the snowfall is inside my home rather than outdoors.

The experimenting continues.
Cool before slicing and returning to the oven

The first time making biscotti since my attempts last December, and the biscotti are near perfect.  A bit of tweaking is still in order, but I learned a big lesson today.  

The first batch of batter would not come together; so the cookies eventually found their way into the trash bin.  With the second batch I learned I need to trust in the process, and that in time everything will come together.  Just like rain and freezing temperatures mix to create snow, if I just keep mixing (being patient, trusting, and doing the footwork), eventually it will stick. And then I place my hands in the mix and knead the dough.  The trick is to get the mix just right: not too farinoso (floury; figuratively: flowery) nor too appiccicoso (sticky, gluey; figuratively: clingy, clinging).
Ready to eat
In the case of my quasi perfect biscotti, today it worked.  Magical.  What a wonder it is to create.  The second part of the lesson is to take what I learned out of the kitchen and apply it in my day-to-day life.
Mabel gets comfy while I bake

2 comments:

  1. I wish I could reach into the screen, give Mabel lots of cuddles AND steal those biscotti! Patience, trust, and doing the work - wise words.

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  2. Joss, they look yummy! By the way, I found a trick to help bake them faster. Slice the biscotti a bit wider and stand them up so both sides are exposed for the second baking!

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