So….. what do you do when you forget to call your grandmother on her 80th birthday?
Well… obviously you yell at your little sister who remembered to call your grandmother on her 80th birthday, and didn’t remind you to call your grandmother on her 80th birthday. Some nerve.
See… forgetting to call your grandmother on her 80th birthday is just about as bad as kicking your dear and darling 80 year old grandmother in the shin. It’s not cool. There’s no going back. You’re a real jerk if you don’t call your grandmother on her 80th birthday.
Ok. Here’s the deal universe. I hope I live to be 80. Please. That would be great. I think…. I hope.
On May 25, 2061 Universe, I want you to break my phone. See to it that no one calls to wish me a happy birthday. I’ll remember why. I’ll remember that I deserve it. For real. Yeeesh!
Also… biscotti. I made some delicious biscotti. This is me, sharing.
Cinnamon toast was the first thing I taught myself to make in the kitchen. White bread. Inconceivable amounts of softened and salted butter, too much sugar and lots and lots of cinnamon. Starch? Sugar and spice!? It’s perfect. God bless it.
Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti are the crisp version of cinnamon sugar toast. Crunchy, loads of sweet cinnamon flavor. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. And! These are nut free biscotti! That’s exciting for me… I don’t really like giant almonds in my cookie. So… success!
Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti
recipe found on epicurious.com
makes about 24 cookies
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
For Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 beaten egg (for brushing biscotti before baking)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange two baking racks in the upper portion of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Also whisk together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the down and beat in the egg followed by the egg yolk. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter all at once. With the mixer or just with a spatula, bring all of the ingredients together until a somewhat stiff dough is formed.
Divide the dough in two on the two making sheets. Shape each half of dough into a 9-inch long and 1 1/2-inch wide log. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle very generously with cinnamon sugar. Bake the two sheets on two different racks in the oven for 20 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheets for even baking and bake for 20-25 more minutes until golden and firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven but keep the oven on. Let biscotti cool until able to handle. Using a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch wide diagonal slices. Place biscotti cut side down on baking sheet and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar. Bake again until pale golden, about 10-15 minutes.
Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
{ 98 comments… read them below or add one }
Ring ring! I heard your phone may be broken on May 25, 2061, so I wanted to wish you a happy birthday while I could! Oh and the nice thing about grandmothers is that you could call her tomorrow just to say hi and all will be forgiven!
It’s morning here, and I just accidently dumped cumin instead of cinnamon into my yogurt. I’m SO wishing I had some (many) of these for breakfast instead!
Hey, your birthday is on the same day as mine. Funny. Although I will be 84 on that particular birthday in 2061…
I’m sure your grandma would understand. And if the internet is still around on May 25, 2061 then I will make sure to greet you on the blog.
YUM! THIS LOOKS SOOO GOOD. :)
I could be your grandma! And you don’t have to call me on my birthday, just bake me some biscotti… Hugs from snowy Poland!
Funny, usually I do remind my sister to call on people’s birthdays, anyway accidents can happen.
Love your biscotti!
Never made biscotti! I should be ashamed…
I’m not a fan of having huge almonds in my biscotti either :)
Yours look delicious!
Joy, tell your grandmother you were slaving over a hot oven to make her these biscotti and you hands were so messy you couldn’t get to the phone…then send her a bunch of these babies with a beautiful card. You’ll be golden.
Love those biscottis!
Hello Joy the baker, I have brought back some goodies from Lebanon that I am giving away, if interested!
I’m so excited to try these! My 86 yr old grandma will love them and so will I! I’m especially happy that there aren’t any unique ingredients like so many biscotti recipes I’ve seen. Namely nuts. I’m with you on the nuts. :)
Hey Joy, you know what I did? This will make you feel like a million dollar forgetting to call your grandmother ; ) or almost…
I went to visit my granny one day and while walking in was wondering why she had so many bunches of flowers and cards everywhere. I was also surprised that a good friend of her, who is living quite far away, was there on the very same day. We had a nice conversation, drank some tea and then I asked who sent her all those cards… Well, you can guess it by now, but I, being dumb as a stick, didn’t back then: It was her birthday. We had a good and healthy laugh at that but I am still not sure it she really took it that easy.
Ah well, at least I was there ; )
Hey Joy! We have the same birthday!! I’ve NEVER met anyone with the same day as me…. but I’m a bit older… I’ll be 101 in 2061!!!
looks incredible! i cannot wait to make this :D
This looks yummy!! You can’t go wrong with cinnamon and sugar.
Mmm…. cinnamon sugar toast was always a fav of mine growing up. And still now… But to have these on hand might be a good idea for when I don’t have sliced bread available… Like at my desk at work! :)
I think she will understand…in order to make it to 80 one must have learned to be very understanding ,right?
Those biscotti look fabulous and my nut hating son will adore them…this week I will give them a try!
I’m making these tomorrow! What do you think about replacing some or all of the flour with stone-ground Whole Wheat flour?
Grandmas are usually good about being a little more patient and understanding than the rest of us might be. :-) You’re genuinely sorry – that, in itself, is enough reason to forgive.
i love biscotti! And I love cinnamon toast. so really, I can’t go wrong. plus my father-in-law is allergic to nuts, and I always feel bad when I make biscotti. this will be perfect!
I cannot wait to try this! Thanks Joy!
These look ah-maz-zing! Can’t wait to try!
Haha, same birthday as me, too! It’s a funny thing because I have only know like 2 other people with my birthday and now I know two more :P I love you for putting a biscotti recipe! Thanks!
-Emily
OH my Joy!!! I will be…109 on your 80th.. so I don’t think I will be around to call you! BUT I will tell you happy TODAY.. and if you pack up some of those biscotti and a pretty tea cup and go and visit your Grandma.. she will be so thrilled with your gift of time AND goodies!
Bless you!
Cinnamon Toast is the first thing I learned how to make also! Sometimes when I have an awwfuull sweet tooth I will make that… I always have bread, butter, sugar and cinnamon on hand!
These look fantastic, and if they remind me of cinnamon toast, even better!
YUM! I want to make mini these and then promptly be the third wheel with cinnamon and sugar.
Ah yes, the joys of cinnamon sugar toast. That was the first thing I learned to make for myself as a wee little girl. And I STILL managed to burn the crap out of it!
Im certain your grandmother with all her wise life lessons understands! Just tell her you were making this amazing biscotti!!! OH MY I cant wait to make!! I love cinnamon toast!
Darling Joy,
Are you ever going to tell us the names of your plates? Just a quick turn over so we can all run to eBay? PUH-Leeze?
Thanks ever so very much-
Kristen
Holy crap – I love biscotti. I love cinnamon sugar. Therefore, I love this. (not that I needed much convincing) Must.make.this.immediately.
This looks amazing. I’m making immediately :)
I’ve never been a fan of biscotti because it always has nuts in it. I think you may have just convinced me that biscotti can be delicious! Definitely trying these out. Thanks!
Cinnamon toast rules! I think that was one of the first things I made myself too! I better go make these I love biscotti, but I never though about making them this way.
the most wonderful and beautiful thing about grandmothers, they just love you SOOOO much they will forgive you. I know my granny would. Shes the best!!
Hee. I don’t even celebrate my birthday or tell anyone when it is because I don’t want to deal with the pain of people forgetting. It is one approach.
Tried your eggnog pancakes yesterday–not as good as the chai spice, but I cheated and didn’t use fresh grated nutmeg, so maybe that was the problem. Stil tasty!
Hey darlin,
I have been following you for the last couple of months and want to get in contact to catch up. I tried calling you a couple years back after we ran into each other and i must have gotten the wrong phone number cause it wasnt you. I am so amazed at your blog and your life, not at all surprised. Email me if you would like to meet or catch up on life.
if your grandma is like a lot of grandma’s i know…she may not remember you didn’t call ;)
the biscotti looks amazing! i’m definitely bookmarking this one.
great idea! i made some biscotti over christmas for the first time (i was at my inlaws’ and sorta bored, so i rummaged through their kitchen and found stuff). it was tasty though. will definitely have to make lots more and add this recipe to the list!
oh, and happy early 80th :)
OMG these look soo good. Yep, you’ve made up for the missed gmom call on these!!!
I had cinnamon toast this morning!!!
These biscotti look delicious!!!!!
Joy: “Hello? Gram? I am so sorry I didn’t call you on your birthday, but I was so busy making you this delicious biscotti that I ran out of time!”
Gram: “Mmmmmmm Biscotti. Oh, what was that honey? All I heard was biscotti!”
Yum! My Aunt and cousin are fabulous at biscotti making! They are a little more connected to my Italian roots. I will have to give it a try.
Yum! Never thought of a cinnamon sugar biscotti before, looks so great. I think most things can be improved with a dusting of cinnamon/sugar.
you must be black & blue by now!i hope not bloody!!
if your grandmother is anything like mine was…she will forgive you…a simple “i love you” is what she will treasure.
i *heart* cin sugar & have never baked biscotti…now i have a reason to…
btw: happy 80th…enjoyed in good health…are you still baking?
Quick question. Are those pictures out of order? I see the “log” of dough after the baked version. Had me curious for a moment.
Nonetheless, I WILL be making these this weekend especially because I too love toast with cinnamon and sugar and because there are no special ingredients required. I have everything in house!
Love the site. Keep it up! (Ooh, I was very shocked to find out we are the same age but was quite happy. Looks like I’ll be finding you when we’re 80!)
hmmm – these sound heavenly!!!
I’ve made tons of biscotti, but I’ve never tried a cinnamon sugar one. I love me some cinnamon sugar toast – I can’t imagine not liking this one. Thanks for the great idea!
Thankfully, Grandmothers are exceptionally skilled at forgiving grandchildren, especially ones that bake delicious cinnamon sugar biscotti.
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