Biscotti Cookbooks: Buon Appetito, Amici

Baking with California Olive Oil: Dolci and Biscotti Recipes (2002) by Gemma Sciabica

I can’t provide much detail about this spiral-bound cookbook. The back reads, “Nick Sciabica & Sons, California Gourmet Varietal Olive Oils, Modesto, California.”

Chapters in “Baking with California Olive Oil” include:

• Biscotti
• Pies and Tarts
• Cookies
• Desserts
• Sweet Breads
• Cakes

“Gemma’s cookbooks are all measured in cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons. We do offer one of her favorite recipes on our website, here is the link: Olive Oil Biscotti,” Andrew Sciabica shared with me via email.

The Best 50 Biscotti Recipes (1995) by Barbara Karoff

You’ll recognize the style of this cookbook. It’s from Nitty Gritty Cookbooks. Expect no images and for recipes to span two pages in the 4.75 x 0.25 x 6.25-inch little cookbook.

I don’t know the chapter titles for this one. Do you? Please let me know.

Will you bake the Raspberry Chocolate Biscotti or Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti? Maybe you’ll try the Almond Cinnamon Raisin Biscotti, Cashew Orange Crunch Biscotti, Fig Pistachio Biscotti, or the Mocha Brazil Nut Biscotti.

The majority of recipes in this book are for biscotti, but there are non-biscotti recipes, too. These include Dutch Walnut Rusks, Bussolai, Amaretti Cookies, Biscotti alla Veneziana, and Queen’s biscuits (Biscotti di Regina).

Best Biscotti: The Baker’s Dozen Cookbook Series (2017) by Marcy Goldman

There aren’t any chapters in this short and sweet 8 x 0.13 x 10-inch, 48-page cookbook. I reached out to author Marcy Goldman via email for a little clarity. She responded quickly — and gets a gold star for the day:

“My Best Biscotti cookbook is part of a series of ‘best’ cookbooks in which I created an original baker’s dozen (13) best of one sort of baking.

(There is also a Best Bagels, Best Holiday Cookies and Best Scones). In addition to thirteen recipes there are thirteen ‘baker’s secret tips’ in each book . . . “

Marcy Goldman to Jessica Nunemaker of Little Indiana Bakes

Will you bake Little Italy’s Best Almond Biscotti, Blueberries and Cream Biscotti, Chocolate Chunk Tollhouse Biscotti, or Chinese Restaurant Biscotti? Sweet Caramel Chocolate Chunk Biscotti or Double Chocolate Biscotti?

With 13 biscotti recipes to choose among, it’s enough to offer plenty of variety, without being overwhelming.

As of this writing, when you purchase a book, send an email to Marcy at BetterBaking.com and she’ll give you free access to the Better Baking archives for a limited time.

Biscotti by Lou Seibert

My copy of Biscotti by Lou Seibert is missing the book cover. Sigh. Instead of staring at biscotti illustrations, I have a solid pumpkin-colored cookbook. Good thing the inside is tantalizing enough.

Chapters in “Biscotti” by Lou Seibert include the following:

• Introduction
• Biscotti Baking Tips
• Serving Ideas with Biscotti
• Traditional
• Chocolate and Nuts
• Regional Variations
• Healthful

At 61 pages, and sdfsfsdfsdf (including the recipe index), it’s on the small side. But sometimes, these specialized cookbooks are worth adding to your cookbook collection (and proof that good things still come in small packages). Flip to the back for blank pages to add your notes.

Or, do like I do: write in your cookbooks. You’ll always know when you made it, why (if you had to bring something to a book club or girl’s night), and if you made any chances. You’ll never remember otherwise (trust me on this one).

I like how this cookbook includes biscotti recipes and then offers up secondary recipes for things that go in the biscotti. For example, the recipe for Granola Biscotti includes a recipe for the twice-baked cookie and one for granola.

Praline Biscotti, Swedish Cinnamon Slices, Orange Almond Diamonds, Chocolate Ribboned Biscotti, and Biscotti di Prato jump out at me — two thumbs up for Lou’s recipe titles. I want to bake everything in this cookbook.

Biscotti and Other Low-fat Cookies: 65 Tempting Recipes for Biscotti, Meringues, and Other Low-Fat Delights (1997) by Maria Polushkin Robbins

Recipes include an introductory paragraph to provide more detail about the recipe or its origin. Ingredients are listed in cups. It’s a 7 x 0.27 x 10-inch cookbook featuring 160 pages of twice-baked cookie goodness.

Many of the recipes don’t include butter or oil.

Chapters in “Biscotti and Other Low-fat Cookies” include:

• Why Biscotti?
  • Ingredients
  • Equipment
  • Procedures
  • Tips for Baking Great Biscotti
• Sweet Biscotti
• Savory Biscotti
• Meringue Cookies
• More Low-Fat Cookies
• Mail Order Sources
• Bibliography
• Recipe Index

The chapters include subheadings of each recipe with a page number.

Check out Spicy Chocolate Pear Biscotti, Double Almond Biscotti, Pistachio Chocolate Chip Biscotti, Butterscotch Biscotti, and Cherry Vanilla Biscotti in the chapter for sweet biscotti.

Bake Pesto Pine Nut Biscotti, Oatmeal Caraway Biscotti, Lemon Curd Meringues, or Citrus-Glaze Lebkuchen for a change of pace.

There are many more sweet biscotti recipes in this book than any other. For Savory Biscotti, expect six recipes, seven for Meringue Cookies, and four for the chapter titled, “More Low-Fat Cookies.”

So if you, like me, prefer biscotti on the sweeter side, this cookbook could be the right fit for you.

Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of the American Academy in Rome (2010) By Mona Talbott and Mirella Misenti

Recipes include a summary paragraph for a little light reading. There are images but they don’t go with every recipe and they may not be of the finished product. Some pictures, however, do share a sort of step-by-step process that could help new bakers find their way.

The ingredients list includes grams and cups for your baking convenience.

Chapters in “Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of the American Academy in Rome” include:

• Foreword
• Introduction
• Milk and Wine Biscotti
• Nut Biscotti
• Honey, Citrus, and Spice Biscotti
• Meringue Biscotti
• Chocolate Biscotti
• About the Ingredients
• Techniques, Methods, and Equipment
• Recipe Index

Will you choose Cantucci di Noci e Cannelle (Walnut and Cinnamon Cookies), Biscotti Integrali al Miele (Whole Wheat Honey Cookies), Dita di Fata (Fairy Fingers), or Brutti ma Buoni (Ugly but Good Cookies)?

I, of course, skip to the Chocolate Biscotti chapter. Biscotti al Cioccolato e Nocciole (Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies), Biscotti al Cacao e Dulce di Latte (Cocoa Cookies with Caramelized Milk), and Biscotti al Ciocolata e Arancia (Chocolate and Orange Cookies).

Biscuits, Brownies and Biscotti (2003) by Australian Women’s Weekly

Measurements include cups and grams. It’s a 63-page book with an interesting assortment.

The images are wonderful. I don’t always recognize the names of these recipes (this is an Australian cookbook), but in this case, the pics help.

Some ingredients may be a bit above and beyond what the typical American keeps in their pantry or baking drawer. Ingredients such as coffee and chicory essence, wholemeal plain flour, rice flour, and golden syrup.

Chapters in “Biscuits, Brownies, and Biscotti” include the following:

• Baking Know-How
• Biscuits
• Brownies
• Biscotti
• Glossar
• Recipe Index
• Facts and Figures

Chocolate Coffee Cream Fancies, Mandarin Shortbread Sticks, and White Chocolate Raspberry Macadamia Blondies would sate any snacker.

Biscotti recipes include Swirled Choc-Almond Biscotti, and Coffee and Hazelnut Biscotti.

Brownies, Bars, & Biscotti! (1989) By Terri Henry

This 127-page, 6.25 x 0.5 x 8-inch book is easy on the chapters. The recipes span no more than one or two pages. If you know the Nitty Gritty bread machine cookbooks, this book follows a similar format. There aren’t images, the interior offers plain, black text, with black-and-white illustrated flair above the recipe title.

Chapters in “Brownies, Bars, and Biscotti” include:

• Brownies
• Fruit and Nut Bars
• Biscotti
• Recipe Index

Recipes on my list include Raspberry Brownies (you knew raspberry would appear in this article somewhere, didn’t you?), Layered Oat Brownies, and Macaroon Brownies (okay, that sounds excellent).

Let’s flip over to the biscotti recipes for Cinnamon Biscotti Fingers, Red Wine Biscotti, Apricot Biscotti, and Lemon Walnut Biscotti.

Ciao Biscotti: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Celebrating Italy’s Favorite Cookie (2015) by Domenica Marchetti

This cookbook boasts fun fonts and unique illustrations, but it may prove difficult for some to read. The ingredients are listed in cups and grams so you can use your kitchen scale without making conversions.

If you like to read cookbooks, the recipes include a few sentences to share details or interesting tidbits.

Chapters in “Ciao Biscotti” include the following:

• Introduction
• Biscotti Basics
• Chocolate and Spice
• Biscotti with Fruit
• Fantasy Flavors
• The Savory Side
• Beyond Biscotti
• Acknowledgments
• Sources
• Recipe Index

ABCD (Almond, Barley, Coconut, and Date Biscotti), Green Tea with White Chocolate Glaze Biscotti, Chocolate Chunk with Cherries Biscotti, Iced Triple Lemon Biscotti, and Coconut-Lime Biscotti float my boat.

Irresistible Cookies & Biscotti (2000) by Linda Collister

We’ve seen Linda Collister’s name pop up on Little Indiana Bakes before. She’s written cookbooks with a specific theme before (remember the brownie cookbooks?).

This biscotti themed book contains 64 pages (including the index). Many recipes include an image.

Chapters in “Irresistible Cookies and Biscotti” include:

• Homemade Cookies
• Traditional Cookies
• Shortbread
• Chocolate and Nuts
• Around the World
• Fingers and Bars
• Recipe Index

I expected the chapter of biscotti to be larger since it’s part of the book title, but it’s pretty small (two cookies are named biscotti). However, the recipes in this book more than make up for it.

Try Irish Whisky Fingers, Danish Cookies, Espresso Walnut Squares, Spice Cookies, and Lemon Poppyseed Cookies (she writes they are wonderful with ice cream or fruit salad).

Macarons, Cookies, Bars, & Biscotti (2013) by Metro

Images accompany every recipe in this 128-page cookbook. Some recipes include a full-page image, while the majority have a small image on the same page as the recipe.

Chapters inside “Macarons, Cookies, Bars, and Biscotti” include:

• Perfect Preparation
• Macarons
• Plain and Filled Cookies
• Biscotti
• Bars
• Glossary
• Recipe Index
• Conversion Chart

Recipes for biscotti run a range, using ingredients such as white chocolate, chocolate chips, cranberries, pistachios, and even apples.

Standout recipes include the following: Gingerbread Biscotti, Apple, Cranberry, and White Chocolate Biscotti, Citrus Coconut Biscotti, and Jaffa Biscotti.

Non-biscotti offerings in the “Plain and Filled Cookies” chapter include Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Cookies, Lime and Ginger Kisses, Hazelnut Moments with Chocolate Berry Filling, and Coconut Chocolate Crunchies (a filled sandwich cookie).

Making Your Own Biscotti and Dunking Delights (1996) by Dona Z. Meilach

I love how Dona thanks the usual suspects on her acknowledgements page, but also wrote a note of thanks to her Scrabble Club members for tasting, commenting, and appreciating the biscotti she shared each week. How fun is that?

No images but this 96-page cookbook of biscotti recipes is worth it anyway.

“In this book you’ll find traditional biscotti recipes and many that are updated to use today’s easily available ingredients.

Break them up or crumble them for sprinkling on ice cream, puddings, and other desserts. Stuff them so they appear to have an inside and an outside layer.

Make biscotti piecrusts, too.

Dona Z. Meilach, Making Your Own Biscotti and Dunking Delights (1996), Page 11.

Chapters in “Making Your Own Biscotti and Dunking Delights” include the following:

• A New Romance with Biscotti
  • Introduction
  • Why Make Biscotti at Home?
  • Procedures and Equipment
  • Storing and Shelf Life
  • Ingredients
  • Mixing Methods
  • Shaping, Baking, Slicing, and Toasting
  • Toppings and Icing
• Almond-Flavored Biscotti
• Chocolate Lovers’ Biscotti
• Piquant Herb, Spice, and Nut Biscotti
• Biscotti From Around the World
• Mixing Biscotti Dough in a Bread Machine
• Dipping Delights
  • Appetizers and Stupendous Soups
  • Colossal Coffees
  • Making Steamed Milk
  • Dessert Debaucheries
  • Winning Dipping Wines and Liqueurs
  • Toasts
• Directory
• Recipe Index

First, let’s tackle that “Dipping Delights” chapter. Recipes include Hearty Artichoke Appetizer, Guacamole Biscotti Wheel (either served with guac on herbed biscotti or as a dip with one of her recipes in Chapter 5), and Carrot-Leek Soup.

Chocolate Espresso Cream Parfait, Easy Rum Floats, and a list of sweet wines and liqueurs for dipping (from Aquavit to Zinfandel), will keep biscotti lovers busy.

Cakelike Almond Biscotti (for dessert fondues), Turkish Delight Almond-Apricot Biscotti, Chocolate Mardi Gras Biscotti (using mini M&Ms), Layered Chocolate Coconut Biscotti, and Valentine Biscotti (a sweet and thoughtful gift).

If you aren’t a traditionalist when it comes to biscotti, well, this is the biscotti cookbook you’ve been waiting for.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library: Cookies and Biscotti by Kristine Kidd

Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma edited this 108-page, 8.8 x 0.8 x 8.8-inch book of cookies and twice-baked cookies. As with all Williams-Sonoma cookbooks, it’s an easy-to-read font. Recipes span two pages, one page for the image and the other for the cookie recipe.

Chapters in “Cookies and Biscotti” include:

• Introduction
• Equipment
• Cookie Basics
• Toppings for Cookies
• Crisp and Crumbly Cookies
• Bar Cookies
• Drop Cookies
• Specialty Cookies
• Glossary
• Acknowledgements
• Recipe Index

There are a handful of biscotti recipes, such as Chocolate Chip Biscotti, Pine Nut and Honey Biscotti, Pistachio Orange Biscotti, and Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti.

Brownie recipes are a popular item in my home. Although we can’t get enough of these fudgy or cakey brownies, Hazelnut Orange Brownies might need a closer look.

Other recipes you might enjoy include Cinnamon-Poppy Sugar Twists, Caramel Apple Oat Chews, Lemon Coconut Squares, and Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Press Cookies.