The very first recipe I shared on this blog was one from my sister, and these are the only biscotti I ever make. No butter, but eggs provide the fat, and you can either stop after the first bake (handy for delicate eaters) or re-bake after slicing to your preference. My spouse usually likes to negotiate half the batch getting the second batch whereas I like them not too hard.  The pretty version of course is my sister’s original, using colourful candy dots, but you can choose your own topping or none,  I love the hand mixing of this recipe, in my largest Tupperware™ bowl, usually with a wooden spoon or a very stiff reinforced silicone spatula. I also love the slightly irregular shape of the batter as it spreads on the baking sheet, which I slice at a diagonal.  I make so very few cookies, that this is my go-to sweet.

This week, my sister surprised me with a plate of these, also including another favourite from our childhood, jam thumbprints.  Every year as children, we would help our mother with baking a variety of cookies so that she could assemble plates to share as her holiday gift to all our local friends.  There were always a spritz cookie, some thumbprints, maybe a cocoa ricotta cookie, and then the Greek sweets that we made mostly to share with other people (baklava, koulourakia – which were made again at Easter).

Although I don’t bake as much for the holidays now, I think of these when I do. May your holidays include something new, some traditions, and most of all, kindness. ♥