The Best Biscotti

The 2nd Annual Holiday Cookie Exchange has come and gone.  Dear friends from high school (I'm talking to you, Amber, Jess, Em, Emily, Michelle, and Missy) came over for appetizers, bubbly, laughs, a little more bubbly, and of course, a few more laughs.  It's quickly becoming our annual excuse to catch up, get away from the kids/husbands, discuss life changes from the past year (one marriage this year amongst us, a few new occupational/educational ventures, no new babies this time around) and just enjoy each others' company.  Oh, and eat cookies.  Everyone brings six packages of six cookies each to pass around, and everyone leaves with a bag full of baked goods and big smiles.

This year I made biscotti.   I didn't want anything crazy, like fig and goat cheese biscotti, or caramelized apple biscotti, or whatever else concoctions one sees coming across Foodgawker.  No, I wanted simple, good - no, great biscotti for my little soiree, so I turned to my fav blogs: Smitten Kitchen for a classic almond biscotti and David Lebovitz for his chocolate biscotti (the man knows his chocolate).  At both these sites, I know what I'm getting, I know it's going to be great, and all I have to do is resist my constant urge to tweak and substitute to know they'll turn out a-ok.

I made these biscotti and immediately had to put them away on a high shelf so I wouldn't nibble nibble nibble them away before the party.  Well, of course I had to taste test at least one of each first.  And then there were a few broken ones I had to clean up.  Oh, and no one is really going to want the biscotti heels, right?  Lucky me, they are actually my favorite part.

Let's just say I got my fair share, plus plenty for my ladies at the party.

For great, simple biscotti recipes, check out the SK almond biscotti here and the DL chocolate biscotti here.