Biscotti, biscotti...who's got the biscotti

Biscotti...the perfect accompaniment to a cappuccino. Crunchy, soft, chocolatey, not chocolatey, nutty, not nutty. However you take your biscotti there is no doubt that you have several to choose from. There is, of course, BeBop Biscotti right here in Bend. Their myriad of flavors such as "Chocolate Peppermint Crush," "Cranberry Pistachio," and "Hazelnut Zebra" (to name a few) are sure to delight any palate. For me, I find them a tad too soft for dunking but I do love eating them on their own. Then we move on to Nonni's which is a brand that can be found in most grocery stores. They are perhaps one of my favorites. The texture is just right for sliding in and out of some yummy espresso/milk concoction and the flavor of even the "plain" style is delicious. Just this past weekend "He" and I hit World Market in search of end tables only to find ourselves planted directly in the food section. Seriously, it's just fun in there. I saw some of the "Costco" style ginormous bags of biscotti but having already been exposed to that stuff, we passed. It's not bad but it doesn't have much taste. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw some biscotti labeled "Splendido" by Zazi Baking Company. We went for the Hazelnut Chocolate Chip and we get why the package has a "Top Biscotti Honors" seal on it. This stuff is good. It's a tie between Zazi and Nonni's in the taste and texture department. I can't choose one. And if I had to choose I would eat one of each...with each cup of cappuccino I drank. But I don't think my thighs would like that.

I have tried making biscotti on my own...with the snazzy KitchenAid stand mixer that "He" and the kids got me for Christmas but they were...well...they were edible and my tongue was definitely not complaining, yet they were soft (despite baking them twice). Plus they were a tad too buttery for me. Almost like shortbread yet lacking that wonderfully dense feel to them. So we ended up eating a few and pitching the rest. It was a Martha Stewart recipe and while she has never let me down before I wasn't impressed this time. Maybe it was operator error. Nevertheless, in addition to finding that perfect cappuccino in Bend I am also determined to find the perfect biscotti. Yes, yes, I know there are other goodies to eat with coffee and believe me, I do partake of those as well, but biscotti will always be my number one snack I reach for when I'm drinking some joe. So if you find some good biscotti drop me a line and I will check it out!