Blonde Biscotti Reigns in the World of Biscotti

IMAGE BY: Trevor Gerland Photography

When it comes to biscotti, the mother-daughter duo, Lisa and Toni, know a thing or two about the usually crunchy treat. While looking for a new local coffee shop to go to, on my birthday actually, I saw the Blonde Biscotti on my Google Maps feed. I was in the Montrose area, so I decided to check it out. I’m so glad I did. Not only did they have my favorite drink- Matcha Latte, but their soft baked biscotti are unlike any others that I’ve seen or tasted; in fact, they were literally the BEST I’ve ever tasted! That day, I was actually somewhat flustered, but as I sat drinking my latte and nibbling on the biscotti, my mood shifted to a calmer state. I feel like the monochrome space with potted succulents, and the treats really helped. It’s hard to explain, but hopefully, you get somewhat of an idea.

I was able to chat with co-owner Lisa about what got her into baking, and general thoughts the shop. We chatted for awhile, so I’m going to narrow it down to an abridged version.

She recalls that when she was about seven years old, she remembers her mom filming while they were both baking together in the kitchen (as she was really into creating home movies). “{Baking} was our time; on the weekends, after the school rush and the studying was all done. Mom would let me pull all her baking books. We would go through them, and I’d say, ‘Mom, let’s bake this!’ She taught me everything. She taught me how to measure, how you don’t pack flour, how you pack brown sugar. She had learned from her Mom. It was one thing we both loved doing.”

When she was seventeen, she remembers her grandmother calling and saying, ‘Hey, what are you, your mom, and sister doing this summer?’ Lisa wasn’t sure. Her grandmother responded, ‘I signed us up for cake decorating classes.’ So they started taking cake decorating classes. Soon afterward, she started making cakes for friends. Then her mom and she got into wedding cakes, and so on.

Some years went by, and she went off to A&M and studied nutrition, which sort of ties into what they are doing now. Her mom would make her a batch of (natural blonde) biscotti as she knew she’d starve during midterms and finals, and needed something to eat. “I would eat half of them on the way to school. and the other half throughout the week. They were the perfect snacks. I remember her saying, ‘Ah, just baking a batch of biscotti makes me happy. I just want to do that for the rest of my life.’ Lisa let’s that ponder… She’s studying nutrition, thinking she’ll be a dietician somehow in that realm. “So I’m studying and learning, and she keeps saying this bakery thing and I wanted to make her dream come true. and I thought well maybe I can do mine and then help her on the side. I graduated with student loan debt in 2008, I knew opening a shop wasn’t a reality… I was doing a study abroad program in Italy with NYU… I was flying home from Amsterdam. I sat next to one of the corporate managers for FMC Technologies…which kicked my career in oil and gas.” Throughout her stint in oil and gas, she had always had the idea of her mom’s bakery hanging out in the back of her mind. One day, she and her mom talked about it. What are they going to sell? Cakes, cupcakes, etc.?

About a year into getting her MBA, she filed for the business name, and they narrowed it down to just the biscotti, and the perfect complement to it- coffee. She moved to CA for her job, where the coffee culture is more advanced. She spent two years studying coffee in between her job, and drew inspiration from Blue Bottle and Intelligentsia. June 2016, she quit her job in corporate to join her mom in the baking industry. She has not looked back.

They officially opened June 2017, and have been going steady ever since. Toni has over 50 recipes on hand, and the duo comes up with more every day. “Every month has a new flavor rotation. We absolutely love it.” Toni is always experimenting. They have a gluten-free option (which is AHmazing), and are also looking into ways of doing a vegan version. The coffee gets brewed with her La Marzocco espresso machine. “While in Italy and studying the Mediterranean diet and we went to the La Marzocco headquarters in Florence, where they build espresso machines. It’s Italian made… I couldn’t believe that almost 10 years later, I’d be buying a La Marzocca myself.”

The shop’s decor is more of Lisa’s personal style. “I remember being out in California. I lived in Irvine, but Newport Beach was a ten-minute drive… I had a friend whose family owned a beach house. I went to their beach house one day and it was beautiful. They had a boat at the end of the dock… I just remember the white, clean fresh look. I also remember growing up, my mom always kept the walls white. Think fresh white linens. The greys and the white tones remind me of the whitewashed brick walls.”

When asked what her favorite biscotti flavor is? “All of them have a special place in my heart. The Natural Blonde was the one that got me through A&M, and it reminds me of my mom because she’s the natural blonde. The Nutty Brunette’s fun, because I’m the nutty brunette; as well as the Rich Red- our three signatures. People will ask, ‘well, what’s your favorite?’ I try to understand the customer’s preferences because each biscotti is baked with that in mind. I’m the recipe follower, whereas mom’s the recipe inventor. The Birthday Cake is also pretty popular (with not only kids, but with the adults).” I, personally, have tried quite a few of different flavors and haven’t had a bad experience yet. Each flavor brings its own uniqueness to the table. Since they are the only coffee shop in town with a full biscotti bar, they do recommend starting out with the Natural Blonde first, and then working your way around.

Another thing I LOVE about this place- they only source ingredients from local Texas vendors. Since Lisa has a background in nutrition, using fresh and local ingredients for the coffee, milk, and biscotti are very important to her. “If I won’t eat it, it’s not going into the cookie.”

They also do catering. They are also looking to do mailers. For example, a tea package would include a tin of tea, a brewer, and a Biscot-Tea. It’s a great gift idea, and an experience. Definitely follow them on Facebook and Instagram as well, to see when different things are happening. Lisa is usually at the shop, so if you have questions about coffee and biscotti pairings (or anything else coffee or biscotti related), she’ll have great recommendations for you.

Have you been to the Blonde Biscotti yet? If so, what are your favorite biscotti flavors? Let me know in the comments!

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