New Yorkers love to talk about three things: the price of rent, the length of their commute, and how those compare to yours.
I used to take three trains from Brooklyn to my job on the Upper East Side. That’s the kind of detail that sparks conversation at parties: one train earns you a little envy, two trains gets a sympathetic “join the club,” and three trains prompts people to change the subject quickly with a flurry of questions about Brooklyn rent.
I could have reduced my commute to one train if I walked thirty minutes to a direct line. If the weather cooperated and I felt energetic, I usually chose the walk. Then I discovered an amazing Italian bakery along that route, and suddenly the walk became a daily pleasure—because walking to a bakery equals a treat. Their selection of biscotti was irresistible, and I found myself buying a single piece to go, again and again.
The woman behind the counter laughed the first time I bought just one biscotti. They were sold by the pound, so a single piece cost only about $0.25–$0.35 depending on how thickly the baker sliced them. Still, my ritual continued.
Dunking a biscotti into coffee is a deliciously delicate affair, but it’s not something you can easily do while commuting. A biscotti won’t fit through the opening of a coffee cup with a lid, and you really don’t want to be the person on the subway at 7:45 a.m. holding a lidless cup while attempting to savor a biscotti like you’re enjoying a café breakfast in the Italian countryside. You’re on the A-train—best to keep it simple.
There’s something poetic about biscotti and coffee. A crisp yet tender cookie poised at the brink of a dunk promises a small morning ritual: the cookie softens slightly at the edges, the coffee warms it into yielding perfection, and a simple moment transforms the start of the day.
Despite my bakery proximity, I finally tried baking biscotti at home. I’ll admit this might be my first deliberate attempt, though I’m sure I’ve baked with friends at some point—my memory isn’t perfect. This time I wanted a breakfast biscotti that felt substantial, cozy, and balanced: spicy but not cloying, crunchy yet tender even after being twice-baked.
Biscotti earned a bad reputation when coffee shops mass-produced dry, overly nutty versions in the 1990s. Many of those were more like teething biscuits than a refined accompaniment to coffee. If you’re skeptical about biscotti, try this recipe: it’s spiced, flavorful, and maintains a tender bite despite being twice-baked. Sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup, packed with oats and cinnamon, these biscotti are perfect with morning coffee.
Make a batch and notice how these breakfast biscotti brighten chilly winter mornings.
Cinnamon Maple Oat Biscotti
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies
1 cup (125 grams) flour
1/2 cup (50 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup (53 grams) brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon (3 grams) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon (17 grams) coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) anise extract
1 egg
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Measure the maple syrup into a liquid measuring cup, then add the melted coconut oil and extracts. Separate the egg, reserving the white in a small bowl, and add the yolk to the maple mixture; whisk to combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. The dough will be crumbly—add the reserved egg white and stir until it comes together.
With lightly floured hands (the dough may be sticky), transfer the dough to the prepared sheet and shape it into a 12-inch long by 4-inch wide log.
Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on. Let the log cool until you can handle it comfortably. Use a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut the log into 1/3-inch diagonal slices. Place the biscotti cut side down on the sheet and bake for another 8–10 minutes.
Let the biscotti cool completely before serving with your preferred dunkable beverage. Store in an airtight container for several weeks.