Ciao Biscotti

April 15, 2015

Bold stripes, typefaces, and illustrations lend a modern feel to this mostly traditional collection of twice-baked Italian cookies. Marchetti (The Glorious Vegetables of Italy) begins with popular flavors (e.g., almond, hazelnut, anise) and then explores the sweeter glazed and chocolate-dipped varieties one sees in coffee shops. She also includes savory recipes (e.g., crispy pancetta, smoky gouda) and a handful of other classic cookies (e.g., oil and wine tarallucci, pistachio amaretti). Most home bakers will have the required base ingredients on hand and will just need to shop for nuts, dried fruits, and other flavorings, as well as suggested beverage pairings. VERDICT Marchetti's charming single-subject cookbook will complement most cookie collections. Its visual pizzazz sets it apart from other biscotti books, such as Mona Talbott and Mirella Misenti's Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of the American Academy in Rome.

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