Rosemary and Currant Biscotti

    This is the time when all good Italians are getting their gardens in order......loosening up the soil and planting the seedlings they've started inside over the previous months.  Well, all good Italians but me, it seems.  I mentioned, in an earlier post, that only time will tell if I've inherited the "gardening gene" or not.  Well.....still yet to be seen, folks.  I'm in the beginning stages of learning and always seem to be a little behind where I would like to be.  I have yet to start my plants from seeds indoors but, instead, make trips to  local nurseries to choose the vegetables I want to transplant into my garden.  Let's face it....life gets pretty busy sometimes.  So, for now, I'm satisfied with getting a little jump start from Lowe's or Home Depot.

    Something else I like to grow, besides vegetables, are herbs, which brings me to today's post.  There's something wonderful about being able to step outside your back door and pick a handful of freshness to add to the evening meal.  Besides using fresh herbs in savory dishes, I also enjoy combining them with things that are sweet.  I just think there's something unusual and a little sophisticated about pairing the two together.  Today's recipe is a good example of that.....Rosemary and Currant Biscotti. 

Chocolate Anise Biscotti

    Well, I'm moving right along here in this month of chocolate desserts.  Today is Dessert #6!  One week left to indulge my chocolate cravings.........then, back to that wonderful place called balance and moderation, and I don't think it will come a moment too soon!  (Feelin' a little chubby today)

    But, for now........for one more week.......I'll do my best to bring you delicious chocolate goodies.  And these biscotti fit the bill.  They have just the right amount of crunch and I absolutely love the anise flavor in combination with the chocolate!  (Actually, I love the flavor of anise, period!)  If you're unfamiliar with anise/aniseed, it's a flowering plant that comes from the eastern Mediterranean region and also from southwest Asia.  Its flavor is similar to fennel (LOVE!!!) or liquorice.  If you've never tried it, this is the time!

Double Dark Chocolate and Ginger Biscotti

    Biscotti have become quite popular in coffee shops these days.  They're the perfect little treat to have with your coffee or tea, mid-morning or late afternoon.  Actually, the Italian word for any cookie is "biscotto" with the plural being "biscotti".  Literally the word means "twice cooked/baked".  In the United States, when we think of biscotti, that's what we are thinking about....the cookies that are first baked in a loaf, then sliced and baked again to make them a little crunchy.  But true biscotti, like the ones made in Italy, are made with no fat besides the eggs, which makes them even crunchier.  Italians like to dip them in sweet wine.  I've never been much of a cookie dunker, but a glass of cold milk would be my beverage of choice!