I have had this recipe for sitting here for a year and a half. I have no idea why I’ve sat on it for so long. I was in a huge biscotti phase when I created this, so maybe I just didn’t want to overwhelm everyone with more biscotti. Is there really such a thing as too much biscotti?

This recipe is another great American take on biscotti. Before we jump in let’s take a moment and remember what the differences between Italian and American biscotti are. The main difference, texture aside, between the Italian biscotti and the American biscotti is the addition of butter to the American version. This adds fat and some moisture to the mixture allowing for a tender crumb. I like the flavor imparted by brown sugar, as well as the additional moisture. It makes for a slightly chewier biscotti, but at least I don’t need to visit the dentist afterward. This recipe is firm and crisp with a nice cinnamon flavor. The cinnamon chips give a nice little blast of cinnamon when you bite into them. There’s a certain sweetness to the cinnamon chips as well. The almonds, aside from just flavor, give a nice little crunch. The almonds work well either chopped or slivered. If you want a bit more crunch you can always bake them slightly longer to remove bit of the moisture. Cut the slices, spread them out a bit more, and bake a bit longer. That should allow the heat to get into the biscotti.

I’m not sure why I waited so long to get this recipe out. The last few years have really burned me out. Things at work haven’t been good. The cancer battle with my mom ended, but the grief is still there. Top that off with raising a small human and there just hasn’t been a lot of recovery time. A few months ago I was let go from my job. This really shifted my perspective in ways I couldn’t image. I’m slowly working on getting back to work. Thankfully I have a good network of contacts and a reputation that proceeds me. Currently I am working less, and just enough to cover most of the bills. Consulting with a few different companies where I have friends has been a nice change. I still can’t shake the feeling of being burned out. How long does it take to recover from that?

It’s important to remember that you need to rest. People constantly talk about grinding to get ahead. While I can see how that can be good there has to be a balance where you rest. If you don’t then what good is all of that grinding? Running yourself into the ground doesn’t help anyone especially yourself. It’s time we all start working towards balance, that includes employers. I won’t hold my breath that that will change any time soon, but if we all want to be more productive we should try doing less, not more. Maybe take some down time, make some biscotti, and enjoy a cup of coffee.

The More We Talk
The More We Heal

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup unsalted butter (1 stick) - softened to room temp

• 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

• 2 Large eggs

• 1 Tablespoon vanilla

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 Cups all purpose flour

• 3/4 Cup Cinnamon Chips

• 1/2 Cup chopped almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Cream the butter and sugar together

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine

4. Mix in the vanilla

5. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together

6. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet in batches. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl

7. Mix in the cinnamon chips and almonds

8. Move the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

9. With wet hands shape the dough to roughly 12 inch long, 3 inches wide, and an inch tall

10. Bake for 30 minutes at 350

11. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes

12. Reduce oven temperature to 325

13. slice into 1 inch wide pieces

14. return to the oven and bake again for 35 minutes

15. Let cool and re-slice

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