Olive Oil — Herb Savory Biscotti — While She Practiced, I Baked

Sofia started middle school. Sixth grade. The crossing of a threshold that every parent dreads and every child ignores because children do not understand that middle school is the beginning of the end of childhood and the beginning of the beginning of everything else. Sofia walked into Mountainview Middle School on Monday morning with her backpack and her ponytail and her composed face and she did not look back, the same way she walked into kindergarten six years ago, the same way she walks onto every soccer field and into every kitchen — forward, confident, without the backward glance that would acknowledge doubt.

The gifted program continues — three days a week now, advanced math, independent research, a science elective that Sofia chose (food science, obviously — the girl is relentless in her pursuit of the intersection between cooking and chemistry). Her soccer travel team moved up a division — U-13, older girls, taller girls, girls who have been playing longer. Sofia is the youngest on the team. She does not care. She scored in the first practice scrimmage and jogged back to midfield without celebrating, because Sofia celebrates internally, the way Roberto celebrates: with the nod, with the work, with the absence of fanfare.

Diego started third grade. Mrs. Lopez. No lizard this year, which Diego considers a fundamental failure of educational priorities. He asked Mrs. Lopez on day one if she could get a lizard and she said she would "look into it" and Diego has reminded her every day since. The boy is persistent. The boy will get a lizard in that classroom by October. I would bet the restaurant on it.

The junior cooking competition is next Saturday. Sofia has been practicing every evening — the grilled chicken, the corn salad, the plating. Her timing is down to forty-eight minutes. She has twelve minutes of buffer. She is calm. She is prepared. She is the most competition-ready eleven-year-old I have ever seen, and I have been in competitions for ten years. Roberto asked if he could come. I said, "Dad, you don't need to ask." He said, "I want to see the girl cook." He will see the girl cook. He has been seeing the girl cook since she was seven and standing at a corn station. But this time the girl is cooking for judges. The fire faces judgment. The girl faces the fire.

While Sofia ran her timing drills in the kitchen — grilled chicken, corn salad, plating, forty-eight minutes, reset, again — I needed something to do with my hands that was not hovering. Roberto taught me that. You do not stand over the fire and second-guess it; you tend your own corner. So I made biscotti. Savory biscotti, olive oil and herbs, two bakes and a lot of waiting — which felt exactly right for a night when patience was the only thing I had left to offer.

Olive Oil & Herb Savory Biscotti

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 50 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 24 biscotti

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder until evenly combined.
3. Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, and milk until smooth.
4. Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a stiff dough forms. Fold in the Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes if using. The dough will be slightly sticky — that is correct.
5. Shape the log. Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and shape it into a flat log roughly 12 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 3/4 inch tall. Smooth the top with lightly oiled hands.
6. First bake. Bake for 28–30 minutes, until the log is set, lightly golden, and firm to the touch at the center. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for 15 minutes. Do not skip the rest — cutting too soon causes crumbling.
7. Slice. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a slight diagonal into 1/2-inch slices. Lay the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet.
8. Second bake. Return to the 350°F oven and bake 10 minutes. Flip each biscotto and bake another 8–10 minutes, until both cut faces are dry and lightly crisped. They will firm further as they cool.
9. Cool completely. Transfer to a wire rack. Biscotti reach their final crisp texture only after cooling fully — about 20 minutes. Serve alongside olive oil for dipping, or with soft cheese.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 85 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 110mg