(photo credit: Natan Epstein)
One of the perks of being a writer by profession is that publicists offer me books to review! And when I'm not writing for the Kars4Kids educational blog for parents, I'm either reading books or baking up a storm in my kosher kitchen. That's why I was thrilled to be offered a review copy of food blogger Miriam Pascal's first cookbook, Something Sweet.
Now, I'm not going to claim any false modesty here: I'm really good at baking. I like it better than cooking. It's science. And it makes people happy. So what's not to like?
I'll tell you what's not to like: getting into a baking rut. Baking the same things over and over again and being completely out of new ideas. How many different ways can you make a chocolate chip cookie or a pan of brownies? After you hit on the quintessentially perfect way to prepare these stock items, you're going to stick with it.
And that can get awfully boring.
I wanted something new to do in the kitchen. I wanted to elicit those first time oohs and aahs over a new recipe, the murmurs of pleased appreciation that are never going to be quite the same the next time you make that item. Part of the delight is that you've delved into new (cooking) territory and succeeded. 
So when Pascal's book arrived, I eagerly ripped open the packaging to gaze upon my new book: the book that would help me earn those oohs and ahhs over a novel product that would tickle the palates of my family members oh so sweetly. Not to mention, the hope that there would be non-dairy recipes suitable for serving after a Sabbath meal, a weekly concern in my observant household.
The book is a delight. It has a big, bold, presence. The illustrations are colorful and tempting. Last but not least, the book was perfectly suited to the Jewish family that both sticks to tradition and tries for style in the kitchen and on the table.
Something Sweet author Miriam Pascal
I perused the table of contents looking for the recipe that would say, "Me, me! Choose me!" and found it: Lemon Olive Oil Biscotti. Oh yum. That sounded good. Not to mention, thanks to a Rosh Hashana gift package from my son, I was in possession of a bottle of artisanal olive oil, a varietal oil made from Korneiki olives grown on Kibbutz Geshur, in Israel. So far, I'd only dared drizzle it atop a saucer of tehina. But I sensed this peppery oil, with its strong fruity elements, would be delish in a cookie (oh yeah, Baby!)
I was game to give this recipe a whirl.
I followed the instructions exactly, even when the batter was so loose it could not possibly be formed into a log (as directed). My other biscotti recipes sometimes specify a range for the flour: if it doesn't hold together, you add more, up to the maximum amount. But Pascal's book did not specify a range so I stuck to her directions. (Because that is what an earnest cookbook reviewer does).
The results? These biscotti were incredibly flavorful and different in a way the British would call "moreish." The minute I bit into one I knew it was meant to be paired with a good cup of black tea, either dunked or eaten unsullied, on the side. I made immediately prepared cup of tea in my good Lenox china and sat down to enjoy the fruit of my labor.
Bliss!
The reviewer's blissful result, enjoyed alongside a nice up of tea. (photo credit: Natan Epstein)
I had hoped to pack the rest of the biscotti for the next time my son came home on leave from the army--I like to pack him off with homemade baked goods--but sorry Kid, they just didn't make it. The rest of the family could not stop eating them. I was lucky they lasted into Shabbat (I baked them Thursday).
Now economical they weren't, if you consider the price of good olive oil, but I will definitely be making them again, if not with fancy artisanal olive oil, then with some decent, more affordable supermarket olive oil.
For the record, the biscotti were exceptionally easy to prepare. They double successfully, too.
Buy this book. It has earned a place on my bookshelf as well as in my family's hearts.
Lemon Olive Oil Biscotti
Pareve, Yield 15 large biscotti
- 3/4 cup extra virgin or light olive oil
- 3/4 cup sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
*[It will spread and you won't have any control over it. Nor can you shape it. It will be wide. Just pour the batter down the center of the pan. Do not worry. They will be delicious. V.E.]