
My sister-in-law loves Christmas even more than I do. When her huge box arrives in the mail, I eagerly slice through the tape to peek inside. Her packages, adorned with foraged pine boughs or dehydrated orange wheels, are picture-perfect set atop our tree skirt in the exciting days leading up to Christmas morning. There’s often one package, however, that we don’t let wait until the 25th—her annual batch of biscotti. It’s the perfect treat. Who doesn’t need extra coffee and something special to dunk in it during the holidays?
Borrowing her tradition, I recently started making a more Michigan biscotti of my own. My take on this Tuscan classic is studded with dried cherries and black walnuts, which are native to the Great Lakes region. The historic Michigan farmhouse that my husband and sister-in-law grew up in was home to a few black walnut trees. The Michigan sheep barn that my great-great-grandparents converted into a home was also flanked by the fragrant nut. In both instances, the sticky, green racquet-ball-sized husks would fall all over the gravel driveways. Black walnuts are notoriously hard to open and, according to family lore, my great-grandfather would remove the husk by driving over them with the 1940s family Oldsmobile!
I’m not suggesting you try this at home, but I absolutely recommend getting your hands on some already-shelled meat from this forgotten nut and making a batch of biscotti. The signature fragrance of black walnuts works mysteriously well with the olive oil in this Italian dunker. Make a double batch, tie it with twine and tinsel, and share some with your favorite teacher, mail person or anyone else working extra hard this month. Just be sure to save a few for yourself. You’ve earned it with that second cup of coffee.