scone v/s biscotti?

The short answer, before I move this to Baking, is: no. ;)

Scones are a type of quickbread -- something like American biscuits, but generally richer. Biscotti are similar to American cookies, or German zweiback: they are literally "cooked twice": first as a loaf of dough, then again after being cut into slices.

Hope this helps. But I'm moving it anyway, so the baking experts can give you more detailed information.

I see Suzanne was quicker on the reply! She posted while I was writing this....:D

No, they're quite different. Scones are made somewhat like biscuits- very short dough, gently combined ingredients, with a biscuit-like consistency. They're tender, not crunchy.

Biscotti (means "twice-cooked" in Italian) are a cookie that's made in two stages. A thick batter is baked- either free-form in a loaf shape or in a pan. It's sliced while hot, placed on baking sheets, and toasted in the oven until it's pretty crunchy. This is called mandelbrot (almond bread) by the Jews, and I'll bet other cultures have a similar product. I've been promised the 90-year-old pans my grandmother used to make mandelbrot. They're about 4 inches wide, 12 inches long and 4 inches deep if my memory is correct.

I'm not a baker, but I know MBrown makes fabulous biscotti because I've tasted them, and KyleW does too! I hope someone who makes them frequently weighs in on this thread. Giada DiLaurentiis makes biscotti as a free-form loaf for their first baking. Her recipe looked pretty good.

The cost of biscotti is usually a reflection of the ingredients used and the labor involved. Biscotti are only as good as the ingredients used. $2 for a large biscotti is not that bad considering the cost of nuts has doubled if not tripled this year and are not going to come down.
Scones are really not like american biscuits. They tend to be more dense due to the cream and butter used.
Biscuits are geared towards light and fluffy. Adding air tends to decrease the cloying fat flavor and texture.
In scones you're using cream and butter and trying to keep the full flavors.
Pair biscuits with something heavy(gravy)
Pair scones with something light(jam,tea)
:D :chef:

liv4food,
Don't appologize for asking any questions, they are good ones.
The texture of scones is not like pound cake.
Scones are very easy to make. Use formulas with butter and cream so you enjoy a true scone. They are as hard to make as easy. They cannot be over mixed and should be baked properly, so as not to turn crumbly.
We open next monday after vacation. I would like to send you some of our white chocolate fresh raspberry scones. If your interested just PM me with your address. You must also have pretty good access to them in Chicago.
I can also scale down one of our formulas if you like.
Pan

biscotti

Biscotti are double baked as everyone said and when I live in Seattle, I did not really care for the super hard ones as they were jaw breakers, here in Italy the biscotti and dipped in coffee (not as frequently as you'd think though) and they are dipped in vin santo and other sweet wines for dessert. Now I truly understand why they are so hard! I like the soft more chewy ones, I had one once that was canided ginger and walnut, not authentic Italian but very good on it's own, no dipping required.

I LOVE biscotti. We make this devine pistachio biscotti that we werve with out sorbets. It's basically like everyone said.. Bake the dough in a loaf, then cut it and toast it. Delish! I like it crunchy.

I would describe scones as a heavy, crumbly, buttery biscuit. They also taste very "floury," if you know what I mean. I like it, too. However, my stomach always hurts after I eat a scone, especially those supersize, american starbucks scones (yuck!).

Biscotti were originally made for sailors in the Italian navy of the 17th Century. They had a longer shelf life than regular breads or cookies. I have found that you can control the degree of hardness by how long you bake them for the scond time - the longer the bake time, the harder thay get. I don't like them tooth chipping hard but as Mangilao said, dipped in coffee or a nice desert wine they are definately more palatable.

In Britain where scones are very popular there are many varieties depending on where you are in the country. I often hear people talking about the trditional English scone but there is really no such thing. The scones we made in Scotland were different from the ones my English grandmother made and both are traditional to the region. So, you can sample a number of "genuine" scones that will taste completely different.

I have eaten many scones in the United States and not one of them is anything like a British scone. Not that they are bad. Far from it. Many are quite deliscious but they are just different. With a few rare exceptions store bought scones are really bad. They are so easy to make that there should be no excuse for buying them.

When children in Britain are learning to bake, they make scones (which usually turn out like hockey pucks.) Here is one secret: when you roll or pat out the dough, don't roll it less then 3/4" otherwise they will not rise. I don't know why but they just won't.

Jock

liv4fud,
haven't forgot you! just been swamped since back.

Scones in the US, as Jock says, are light-years from what I've had in the UK. In the UK these are light, airy - almost (but not quite) cakelike, perfect for clotted cream and strawberry jam at teatime. To me the US scones are like lead sinkers and ENORMOUS...

Yes, they really aren't scones at all!!