Cappuccino Biscotti opened my eyes to the possibility of flavors you could have in a biscotti. Before this recipe, I had only tasted almond biscotti, yet here was a biscotti that combined the flavors of coffee, chocolate, and hazelnuts. And if that weren’t enough, they were also scented with ground cinnamon and cloves whose warm aromas filled the kitchen while they baked. I particularly liked the bold and spicy taste of the ground cloves which pairs so well with chocolate.

The Cappuccino Biscotti’s dry, crisp and crunchy texture comes from baking the cookies twice. The first baking sets the dough, while the second baking dries it out. The biscotti’s instantly recognizable long curved shape comes from forming the dough into a log and then cutting the log into slices after the first baking. The rough and jagged slices of biscotti are then baked until most of their moisture is removed. Now, you can vary the length of the second baking. If you like a hard and crunchy biscotti, perfect for dipping in your coffee, then bake them the amount stated in the recipe. But if you prefer to just nibble on your biscotti, instead of first softening it in your coffee, you may want to slightly reduce the time of the second baking. These cookies do store for several weeks in an airtight container but they never seem to last that long in my home.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

Photo by Rick Jaworski

© 2010 Rick and Stephanie Jaworski, Joyofbaking.com

A loaf of Raisin Soda Bread, also known as Spotted Dick or Spotted Dog, with a hot cup of tea is one of life’s little pleasures. Now, a soda bread can be many things. In its most basic form it contains only four ingredients; flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. Yet it can be transformed when you add other ingredients. And that is what we did for this recipe. We added a little sugar, some plump Thompson raisins, then cut in some butter, which gives us a lovely golden brown bread with a soft and crumbly texture. Perfect sliced and spread with butter.

As I mentioned above, soda bread contains flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. It does not use yeast to get its rise, instead the rise comes from baking soda
(bicarbonate of soda) reacting with the acid (soured milk or buttermilk). This makes it a ‘quick’ bread that can be made in under 15 minutes and you can be enjoying a slice in under an hour. The important thing to remember, and I cannot stress this enough, is to have a quick light hand for both mixing and kneading of the dough. This will give you a bread that is dense, but not doughy, with a tender, slightly moist interior. Once the dough is formed into a round, a cross is cut on the top of the bread, dividing it into quarters (called farls).

Irish Soda Bread always contains buttermilk which has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste that makes this bread tender. Whereas in the past it was the liquid left over after churning butter it is now commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

Photo by Rick Jaworski

© 2010 Rick and Stephanie Jaworski, Joyofbaking.com

A Meringue Cake (or Torte) is composed of two layers of moist and tender butter cake that are topped with a crispy golden brown meringue. It is different from other layer cakes because the butter cake and the meringue are actually baked in the same pan at the same time which fuses them together.

This technique is quite unusual yet it makes for a great looking cake that is very delicious. I love its casual look and when it is filled and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, it reminds me of a giant Strawberry Shortcake. But you don’t have to use strawberries; other berries like raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are delicious as are slices of juicy peaches or nectarines. And while I love the look and taste of whipped cream, other ideas are to fill the cake with lemon curd or Susan Purdy in her book ‘A Piece of Cake’ suggests filling the cake with pastry cream and fresh fruit. While you can make the cake layers a day or two in advance, to keep the meringue layers crisp, do not fill with the strawberries and cream until shortly before serving.

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