Transferable skills

I was at work and in my fist was a small piece of paper that said “Italy”. During the world cup season, we each had to bring in a morning tea based on our drawn countries. What to bring? There are many yummy Italian foods. Pizza, pasta, antipasto, breads….

Being a terrible baker, I challenged myself to bake for everyone at work.

Chinese fighting muffins

Light, fluffy bread and moist cakes? Never! It’s not my style. My baking is generally hard and dry. So I figured, why not harness my natural talent for making Chinese fighting muffins? Look upon it as a transferable skill. Maybe you have a negative cooking skill that could be turned right given the perfect recipe?

Biscotti is hard and never moist. Biscotti is classy. Biscotti would be perfect.

I found this online chocolate biscotti recipe by Susan from Farmgirl Fare. If I’m afraid of making something, the words easy and beginners in the heading makes a big difference. I worried about burning these since it’s hard to tell if dark brown biscotti is cooking or burning. By the time you know for sure, it’s already too late. I shouldn’t have worried. The biscotti came out perfectly and disappeared at morning tea the next day. What a relief!

These are are crisp and crunchy, but won’t break your teeth and are also ideal for dunking. I added a teaspoon of coffee, but in hindsight, Susan’s suggestion of a tablespoon would have been better. Perhaps even a coffee liqueur next time.

This post is part of Sweet New Zealand, a monthly blogging event open to all Kiwi bloggers. Founded by Alessandra Zecchini, this month’s event is hosted by Sue from Couscous & Consciousness. See here for more info on this month’s event.