So I’m kind of excited about my pastry apprenticeship :D  Sunrise to sunset, I’m working in a restaurant kitchen baking up a storm twice a week. It’s basically divine torture – the kitchen smells heavenly all the livelong day, buuuuut I’m actively trying not to gain a hundred pounds. I’ve been learning a lot from some really fun people, oh and I get to wear yoga pants to work. It’s glorious. So far I’ve made cinnamon sticky buns, mini pretzel baguettes, buttermilk biscuits, chocolate chip pretzel cookies, oatmeal butterscotch cookies, apple chips, cranberry orange muffins, and orange anise biscotti with a dark chocolate drizzle.

It’s been a while since I’ve made biscotti (the last being these lovelies), and I was inspired by the ones I made at the restaurant last week. So on our DC snow* day, I whipped up these Alm ond Cardamom Biscotti. I was a little gun-shy with the cardamom because it’s such a strong spice, but it was the perfect addition to make these almond Italian cookies really sing. In addition to the cardamom, they also have cinnamon, chopped almonds, and almond extract. The dough from this recipe was a lot stickier than the rolled and shaped ones I made at the restaurant, but they still turned out great. The cookie logs spread a lot when you cook them, but I just look at it as a bigger cookie to love. They’re delicate, delightful, and the perfect partner for your coffee or tea this week.

*side note re: snow day – I’m not built for cold weather. The combination of my Californian and red-headed blood make me a particular weakling when it comes to freezing temperatures and cutting wind…how many is too many selfies of me in which you can only see my eyes, because I need to make my fam out in California feel bad for me?…

Here’s what I did:

Almond Cardamom Biscotti
*slightly adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking

Whisk together in a medium bowl and set aside:
-1½ c. flour
-½ c. cornmeal
-1½ tsp. baking powder
-½ tsp. salt
-¾ tsp. cinnamon
-½ tsp. ground cardamom

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together for about 3 minutes until pale and fluffy:
-1 stick butter, softened
-1 c. sugar
-1 tsp. brown sugar

Add and continue to beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes:
-2 large eggs

Beat in:
-1½ tsp. almond extract

Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Then stir in:
-¾ c. chopped almonds

Empty half the dough on one side of a parchment lined baking sheet. The dough will be sticky. Dust the dough with a little flour, and using your fingers, form the dough into a log about 12”x2” and repeat with the rest of the dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Let the logs cool completely. Using a serrated knife, slice the logs on a diagonal into 1” pieces. Return the biscotti to the baking sheet and bake for another 15 minutes at 350 until they’re golden and crisp. Cool on a rack and then enjoy with tea or coffee!

#gotcounterspace #reallife…

French phrase of the day:
Oh mon Dieu, il fait froid….je suis gelée.
Oh my goodness it’s freezing….I’m frozen.