Cappuccino Hazelnut Biscotti // Hematology-Oncology Fellowship
This post is super belated, but very excited to share where I matched for hematology – oncology! My thought (“I wouldn’t be surprised if I do end up a cancer doctor”) from my Leukemia month at the start on intern year was right.
Match Day for fellowship isn’t as glamorous as the one we had in medical school – no huge ceremony or speeches, no envelope to open, no confetti or balloons. At noon Dec 4, 2020, everyone is emailed the Match results. I luckily wasn’t working that day. I set my alarm for 11:55am so I wouldn’t be anxiously waiting during the morning.
I woke up, got the email 5 min later while lying in bed, and saw I matched to University of Washington / Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle!
Yes, so Match Day for fellowship was actually way back in December (Match day for residency is this month though!), but I wanted to have a Seattle themed dessert and felt nothing was more fitting than coffee.
I visited University of Washington even further back September – it was my very first interview. All my interviews were quick stops, except for this one, where I stayed an extra two days with my best friend who took me around Seattle. We had a blast going from the first Starbucks to Pike Place Market to the Space Needle.
I don’t drink coffee much since I’m so sensitive to caffeine, but I do enjoy the taste and love coffee desserts. Biscotti is one of my favorite snacks.
The first biscotti were created in 14th-century Tuscany and made from almonds, which were abundant in the region. Because the second baking took the moisture out, biscotti were hard, sturdy and, importantly, resistant to mold, making it the ideal food to store. They soon became a favored provision of sailors, including Christopher Columbus, who traveled at sea for months at a time biscotti (source).
This version is an Italian style biscotti, which call for eggs only, the traditional method. The American style biscotti adds butter or oil, which has a softer texture (source, source).
Adapted from Joy of Baking. Chocolate is by Taza Chocolate (I cut the chunks to be a little slimmer for the biscotti).
These were the perfect texture – next time I’d just add a stronger coffee flavor!
Cappuccino Hazelnut Biscotti
Ingredients
1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 eggs
3/4 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped coarsely
3/5 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Taza Baking Chocolate)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350F and place rack in center of oven.
In a small bowl whisk together the espresso, milk, eggs and almond extract.
In a medium bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices until combined. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips. Add the espresso mixture and beat until a dough forms, then divide the dough in half.
On a lightly floured surface roll each half of dough into a log 2 1/2 inches wide (the logs will flatten out during baking). Transfer the logs to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for about 35 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes (do not let it cool all the way or it will be harder to slice the biscotti without crumbling)
Reduce the oven temperature to 300F. On a cutting board cut the logs crosswise on the diagonal into 3/4 inch (2 cm) slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet, and bake for 5 – 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Enjoy with milk or coffee!
