MARTHA’S BISCOTTI – go ahead and make it. You know your sick of that resolution already!

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Hi there,

Well, we are 26 days into the new year. Valentine’s Day is so far away and Lent feels like it is right around the corner. I suggest a break from all the fasting and make this delicious biscotti and enjoy it with a glass of vin santo. If anyone points out the lapse in the new diet, just tell them Bernadette said it is Martha’s Biscotti Day and everyone gets a pass on their resolution.

Seriously though, I am going to share this story about Martha, who at 72 went to Culinary School. Ever since Sharon told me about her Mom, I have wanted to share this story with you. So finally, here is Martha’s story told by her daughter, Sharon.

We grew up in a household with 7 kids and a very fussy eater for a Dad. Basically He wanted a piece of meat, a starch and a vegetable that came out of a can. His definiton of a “gourmet” meal was pizza. My poor Mom was never able to experiment in the kitchen.

When Dad passed, my Mom, at the age of 72, enrolled at the French Culinary School in New York City. For 6 months of Saturdays, she traveled to New York City to attend class. She was so determined to not miss a class, that she hired a driver to take her to New York every Saturday. She absolutely loved the experience and never missed an opportunity to have dinner at the school where new students were cooking.

So here is Martha’s Biscotti recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed sharing my remarkable Mom’s story.

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups of sifted flour

1/2 sp salt

1/2sp baking powder

4 oz unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

and 1/2 cups of sugar

4 large eggs

10z. pecan halves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Butter 2 loaf pans and dust with fine bread crumbs.

Sift flour, salt and baking powder together and set aside.

Beat room temperature butter until soft. Beat in vanilla, sugar and then eggs, one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just mixed. Then stir in the pecans by hand. Place 1/2 the mixture in each loaf pan. Smoothe top and make a trench in the center of each pan of batter. Bake about 55 minutes. Cool in the pans. When thorougly cooled, remove and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate fo several hours. Then slice very thin with a serrated knife. Place the slices on a cookie sheet and bake carefully at 350 degrees for about 7 to 8 minutes on each side. The cookies should be light brown. Let the cookies cool and serve and maybe think of Martha fulfilling her long desired wish.

35 responses to “MARTHA’S BISCOTTI – go ahead and make it. You know your sick of that resolution already!”

  1. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen – I'm a writer, cook, gardener, photographer, poet, quilter, and accomplished daydreamer. I'm also a wife, mother, grandmother, sister. cousin, aunt, and friend, no particular order on any given day. I've been a writer all my life, newspaper reporter and columnist, radio news writer, and magazine contributor, and poet and short-story writer as the spirit moves. Now, I turn my attention to my cookbook, the blog, and a cooking column "Memorable Meals," which runs in our county newspaper. Besides my family, I love dogs, cats, good coffee, chocolate, and my never-dwindling pile of books I intend to read. Our family ran a small Vermont Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic ingredients. I cook from scratch, and try not to use anything that has ingredients I cannot pronounce! After many years of daily serving up local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events, and the odd cooking class. We also host musicians and artists, having helped produce a musical festival and other musical events for nearly 20 years. Many incredible artists have found a place at our table. Wonderful experiences, we will treasure always. My family and friends are my practice subjects. With a family that includes nut, peanut, tree fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, vegans, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy! Personally, I do not eat red meat or most full-fat dairy (usually) for health reasons, making the occasional exception at Thanksgiving and Christmas or our anniversary if the duck is locally raised. I do eat fish and seafood, so I try to come up with alternatives and substitutions when available. I serve local organic eggs and cheeses to my family who can tolerate dairy (My husband recently had a heart attack, and I need to watch my own cholesterol so I am careful, but have been known to let a little piece of really good cheese accidentally fall on my plate!). I believe strongly that eating in a way that is good for our planet is also good for our bodies, and I try to educated myself about our food sources! I cook by the seasons and draw on inspiration from the strong and talented women in my family who came before me, as well as the youth in the family who look at the world with fresh eyes. Food links us all, whether sharing a meal, cooking it together, or writing about it for others to enjoy. I love taking an old recipe and giving it a modern spin, especially if I can make it a littler healthier and use foods that are kinder to the Earth and to our bodies. I believe strongly in sustainable, delicious eating of whole foods, and the wonderful flavors we have at our fingertips! And finally, I love conversing with all the talented cooks and chefs out there who dot the globe! It's a wonderful, world full of culinary pen pals, and I cherish them all! XXXOOO Dorothy
    Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen says:

    I absolutely love the story, and I plan on celebrating Martha’s Biscotti Day frequently!

  2. sammee44 – Victoria, BC – I am a West Coast Reader and Writer who enjoys the big and little things in Life. My philosophy is–if you don't enjoy those precious moments and savour the joy, then how can you appreciate the little things that crosses your daily path?
    sammee44 says:

    I love home-baked biscotti and my husband loves them too. In my past life, I loved any magazine assignments that dealt with food and chocolates. One of my favorite interviews was with an Italian family who shared their treasured recipes , including their biscotti recipe with me. Martha’s Biscotti is quite different in the the first longer baking, then the refridgeratiing and slicing before the 2nd baking. I look forward to trying this unusual recipe. . . .And good for Martha, following her dream.

    • It sounds like you hav had a fascinating carreer. I think Martha’s biscotti recipe is very untraditional in its preparation but she did learn it at a French Culinary School. Thanks so much for stopping by. It is always good to correspond with you.

  3. Thanks for sharing such an uplifting story!
    The biscotti look so tasty. 🙂

  4. Darlene – British Columbia, Canada – Writer of children's stories, short stories and travel articles. https://twitter.com/#!/supermegawoman http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=201634059868404&id=631897250&ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/pages/Darlene-Foster-Writer/362236842733
    Darlene says:

    Women never cease to amaze me! I love Martha’s story. My dad was a meat and potatoes man too but mom would sneak in some more “exotic” food once in awhile. As he got older he got more adventurous with his eating and she was delighted to try different things. I have never tried biscotti and I think I will start with this recipe! Thanks.

  5. 💜 It’s a little bit morbid EveryOne but the death of another is often an opportunity for ourselves; these look so tasty I nearly bit in to my smartphone EveryBody

    …💛💚💙…

  6. I love the story. It emphasizes that you’re never too ‘mature’ to have dreams. I am going to try this recipe when I get home. Thank you!

  7. Time Traveler of Life – Where my Motor Home is! – Biography Creating worlds, characters, and wielding power like a madwoman, making my characters happy, sad, angry, and some of them with no redeeming qualities. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I sometimes laugh out loud when I am writing a scene, and I have been known to cry when one of my favorites has to die. I am a left-handed Gemini, what do you expect? Reading bedtime stories to my two children until they fell asleep or until they just told me to go away, was fun. Making up wild stories for my grandchild, and creating Halloween costumes from Cowboys to a Dragon, was another favorite thing to do. I missed that so much when they were grown, that I started writing. My yearly newsletters frequently were drafted third-person by my Love Birds, Miranda our motorhome, and by Sir Fit the White Knight, our faithful Honda. Throughout the years, some of my creative talents centered around writing letters of complaint expressing my displeasure with services or products. One crucial, at least to my Son, was a note to our local school bus driver petitioning her to allow him back on the bus. He was kicked off for making an obscene gesture at his buddy. I reminded her that it was not directed at her, and that “obscenity can be in the eye of the beholder,” kids use that gesture as a greeting. He rode the bus until he graduated. I loved driving my English teacher crazy. Leaving a “continued next week” at the end of my five handwritten pages required each week. He was one of many people that suggested I “do something about my writing.” I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks at the top of my class. After 30 years, in the trenches as a Real Estate Professional, I have found that truth is stranger than fiction. My books are filled with characters I met in that profession. Their names were changed to protect the guilty. Others were from people we met traveling around the country in Miranda, our Motorhome. I am married nearly 60 years to the love of my life, Shirl, and partner-produced two exceptionally talented children, and one grandchild who is our pride and joy.
    Time Traveler of Life says:

    I love Biscotti with coffee, but I don’t know if I have the patience to try. Martha was so much more patient than I could ever be. But then, us women are naturally patient, or we would never become wives. LOL

  8. Chef Mimi – As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!
    chef mimi says:

    What a great story! And what a brave woman! I couldn’t do it at 65! Biscotti are so good, but so addicting!!!

  9. V.M.Sang – UK – I was born and educated in the north west of England. I trained as a teacher in Manchester and taught in Salford, Lancashire, Hampshire and Croydon. I write fantasy novels currently. I also make cards, knit, crochet, tat, do cross stitch and paint. I enjoy walking on the Downs, cycling and kayaking. I do not enjoy housework, but like cooking.
    V.M.Sang says:

    A lovely story. It just goes to show that you are never too old to learn something new.
    I have a very small book that belonged to my grandmother. It has some of her spending in the back, dated 1909, but at the front are some recipes. They are most interesting from a historical point of view, with much suet and long cooking for some.
    I keep meaning to try some of the less fatty ones sometime, but I think Martha’s biscotti will come first. I’ve never has biscotti, so it will be interesting to try.

    • They are a light, delicious treat. And, if you can get your hands on some Vin Santo dessert wine, the combination is fabulous. It would be fun to publish some of your grandmother’s recipes. Let me know if you are interested.

      • V.M.Sang – UK – I was born and educated in the north west of England. I trained as a teacher in Manchester and taught in Salford, Lancashire, Hampshire and Croydon. I write fantasy novels currently. I also make cards, knit, crochet, tat, do cross stitch and paint. I enjoy walking on the Downs, cycling and kayaking. I do not enjoy housework, but like cooking.
        V.M.Sang says:

        I have published them, along with other, more sensible ( to our modern tastes) in a book called Viv’s Family Recipes, but if you wish, I can send you some for you to post here. You can email me at vivienne.sang@gmail.com.

  10. the Painted Apron – Life is all about creativity for me, as long as I'm creating something I am happy! I hope I will inspire your daily life and give you ideas for your own wonderful creations!
    the Painted Apron says:

    Ohhh, homemade biscotti, I know they are wonderful! Inspiring story, thanks Bernadette~
    Jenna

  11. Martha is my kinda gal! What an inspiration, and proof that it’s never too late to follow a dream. 🙂
    Biscotti is one of my favorite treats, and her recipe sounds easy enough for a novice like me to try!

  12. Wow! Delicious recipe! Thanks for sharing ☺💕

  13. Retirement Reflections – Vancouver Island, BC – Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.
    Retirement Reflections says:

    I LOVE biscotti. Thank you for the recipe share!

  14. Thank you for sharing Martha’s recipe, it looks delicious!

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