Ahhh… vacation! Finally, a few days of peace and quiet. I plan on spending some time with good books, Saved By The Bell reruns, lots of turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, and getting acquainted with my new oven.

I remember when I first discovered baking; measuring and mixing and lovingly stirring together ingredients. When I was younger, before Pinterest and Tumblr, I used to hand-write my recipes out on 3 x 5 cards. I found a bunch when I cleaned out my cabinets. It was like a mini time capsule! Pumpkin oat cookies! Raspberry crumble! Thumbprint cookies!

Lately, though, I’ve had a craving for biscotti: those crispy fingers perfect for dipping in morning espresso. I followed this recipe but tweaked a few things since my house was extract-free (maple-finished Crown Royal was a satisfactory substitute) and I wanted to use up some chocolate chips. Some may find the double baking process arduous, but it makes the house smell good and is important for the right amount of crunch.

(Cookie-Cat decided she wanted to help…)

xo Al