We've sampled Nonni's-brand products in the past, and have always given them a thumbs-up.
New to its baked-goods lineup is Biscotti Bites, 24 mini-biscotti to the bag, each morsel carrying 40 calories. The Bites come in three flavors - almond (with a touch of anise), almond dipped in dark chocolate, and caramel milk chocolate. Bites are $3.49 to $3.99 in most supermarkets. For more information: www.nonnis.com.
We passed around the bag of traditional almond-anise Bites and asked our tasters to offer their critiques. I'll go first:
"Nonni's, with roots in Lucca, Italy, has always baked some fine dunking cookies. They're crunchy, fresh-tasting, not overly sweet and really made from old recipes using quality ingredients. However: For some, they may be a bit dry. The new Bites are convenient and casual (and cute?), and - like all biscotti - are best when dunked in red wine."
"Flavor: Excellent; love the interplay of anise and almond. Texture: Good; a bit less dense and crispy than my favorite biscotti, but close. Size: If your coffee cup is half-empty, forget it; these little nibbles are too short for dunking."
"
Buttery, savory almond crunch, but I can't say they left me yearning for more."
"Just the right hint of sweetness and without the break-your-tooth hardness. But only one question: Where's the chocolate?"
"Good flavor, yet nothing beyond what I normally expect when I bite into a (larger) individually wrapped biscotti. Biscotti Bites seem to have that perfect texture to dip into a coffee drink for quick transformation into a softer snack. So I guess it boils down to size. Given the way they're packaged, Bites would seem to be the perfect fit for someone who loves biscotti so much that he/she wants to eat them like potato chips, as opposed to savoring a larger, single biscotti."
"Consistency a little too dry and hard. Too sweet. Anise flavor a little too strong. Nuts are nice, though."
"Liked them. They have stronger licorice flavor (anise?) than I typically like, but had a good crunch and an easy-to-eat size."
"Good. Just the right size for a small cup of coffee."
"Hmm. Tastes like biscotti. But too small to dunk in my coffee. Guess I could fish it out with a spoon."
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.