Barack Biscotti

This recipe also appears on my recipe blog here.


In the Beginning
This is a story about Flickr, biscotti, and change. It started with a blog posting. I needed a good photo of a minka for a posting and went searching on Flickr. When I found this beautiful photo of a moss-covered minka, I contacted the photographer, Keiko, for permission. That was the beginning of a Flickr correspondence. Because Keiko is one of my contacts, I follow her photos. This photo of biscotti caught my eye. (I love to make and eat biscotti!) Keiko sent me the recipe -- a Williams-Sonoma original.

The Change We Needed
Yesterday, while listening, crying, and dancing to the inaugural concert, I began to make the biscotti. Of course, I could not leave it unchanged. It all started when, I discovered I did not have enough butter. It was snowing and I wanted to stay inside, so I substituted canola oil for part of the butter. Next, I switched out one-fourth of the white flour for whole wheat. (Can you tell I'm a public health nutritionist?) I switched from butter to spray oil for the tray preparation. From experience, I knew that I could fit two biscotti logs on my big jelly roll pan. A jelly roll pan prevents the biscotti from falling off the tray during the browning step. Later that day, I realized that I misread the recipe; it calls for instant espresso powder and I had used real espresso beans ground fine enough to make espresso. I decided the occasion and all the edits called for a new name -- Barack Biscotti!

Change Gonna Come *
Sam Cooke's song sung by Labelle, Franklin,and Dylan.
While I've not yet tested the following changes, I'm pretty certain that this recipe would remain quite yummy with the following edits:
- Shift flour ratio to 50:50::whole wheat:white flour.
- Use 4 egg whites instead of 2 whole eggs.
- Use only oil -- no butter. [1/25/2008: I tried all canola oil (no butter). The dough handles fine and the biscotti taste great!]
- The fat could probably be reduced without any problems. I have several biscotti recipes with no fat in them. Maybe next time I'll reduce the butter/oil from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup.
- A few possible additions are chopped dates and fresh orange peel.

Documentation
Today, Keiko asked me to post a photo of my creation on Flickr. It was a well-timed request as my stash was quickly disappearing! The choice of plate is a tip of the hat to Keiko as she is a potter. I do not know who made it or what kind of plate it is. I know it's handmade and I probably purchased it at the NH Craftsmens' Fair. Keiko's request for a photo lead to the creation of a new label on my blog, a new folder in my computer, and a new tag and set on my Flickr account -- food! Here's to photos, Flickr, and friendship!

Barack Biscotti
Adapted from: Williams-Sonoma Chocolate Chip Biscotti via Keiko
½ cup whole wheat flour *
1½ cups white flour *
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup canola oil (or some mixture of canola oil and unsalted butter at room temperature) *
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (or real espresso, ground superfine)
2 eggs *
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chip bits

Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare 2 baking sheets or 1 large jelly roll pan with spray oil or parchment paper.
Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl.
Blend butter/oil, brown sugar, white sugar and espresso powder.
Add the eggs, one at a time.
Add the nuts and chocolate chips. Mix well.
Add the flour mixture. Stir until blended.
Divide dough in half. Form two logs 3-4" wide and about 1/2" thick. Use water on your hands to prevent sticking -- to make it easier to handle the dough.
Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes until firm to the touch.
Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Leave the oven on.
Using a spatula, carefully remove the logs from the pan.
Slice logs diagonally 1/2" to ¾" inch thick.
Place slices back on cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until browned and crisp. Watch carefully as the bottom may brown faster.
Cool on wire rack.
These freeze well, but usually are eaten quickly! Enjoy!