Cookie Monster: White Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

[Photographs: Carrie Vasios Mullins]

Generally when I think of biscotti, I think of crunchy, lightly sweet cookies that compliment, rather than overshadow, an accompanying coffee or tea. But then these happened, and I didn't mind a bit.

The fact is that a few weeks ago I found myself at my parent's house. My mother loves biscotti and my father loves anything that can call itself a cookie. I decided to repay them for their free dinner love and kindness by making them a batch of biscotti. My mother had a half-used container of fancy pants dried cherries (by which I mean actually good, softish cherries that are sweetened with fruit juice and taste like cherries not like corn syrup), and I thought about pairing them with pinenuts. But then she suggested white chocolate, and as you can see, I was letting them call the shots.

The resulting biscotti are definitely more sweet than normal, but that makes them more satisfying after dinner, too. A mix of all purpose flour and cornmeal gives them a lightly crunchy texture. I like them dunked in espresso for a strong and sweet end to a meal.

About the author: Carrie Vasios Mullins is the editor of Serious Eats: Sweets. She likes to peruse her large collection of cookbooks while eating jam from the jar. You can follow her on Twitter @carrievasios