Today, in an effort to avoid the mass consumerism that has overtaken the holiday, I still bake, only now it’s biscotti for friends. While this twice-baked delight is a great deal of work, the smells that permeate the house let us know that the holiday is near. Paired with a special bag of coffee, which I purchase on sale, the biscotti make a special gift for the postal person, the propane-delivery man, and the secretaries at the college where I teach.