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We celebrated the grand opening of Emi’s Biscotteria this last weekend! It was a major success. Italian cookie lovers from all over town came to celebrate Emi’s big day. Emi offered free samples, coffee, and stories of how her cookie journey began. The wonderful ladies in Emi’s family (my soon to be in-laws!) have baked these very same cookies from recipes they carried over from Italy. Italian women keep these recipes under lock and key, and only trusted daughters are handed these recipes as generations pass. Emi wed her entrepreneurial spirit with her love of baking and this amazing biscotteria was born!
Amaretti and biscotti are the most popular cookies. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but the chocolate balls, pizelles, orange sesame cookies, and lemon wedding cookies are my favorites! My mouth is watering as we speak…
These little cuties are new! Emi filled them with Nutella, a delicious (and addicting!) chocolate hazelnut spread. Yum!
I had the opportunity to help Emi design her bakery. I found this gorgeous glass display case off Craigslist, and refinished it for her in a dark Jacobean stain from Minwax. I’ve never used a stain as dark as Jacobean, the color is so rich and full of flavor, like dark chocolate!
I collected a dozen or so cloches and cake stands I found from various stores for Emi to use in her shop to display her cookies! The presentation is beautiful, don’t you think?
Emi’s husband built and installed this cafe bar. You probably haven’t seen one of these bars before in a cafe, usually you find tables and chairs to sit and drink coffee or read the news paper. In Italy, the cafes are different. It’s common to find standing bars in cafes to sip your coffee, eat your biscotti, mingle and be on your way! Emi wanted to bring this custom into her shop, and I think it turned out so perfect! Yumm, look at those amarettis!
Another project I worked on for Emi was this pallet wood Italian flag (I’ll try to take a better photo next time I’m there!). This was the first piece that came to mind when she asked me to help her design her shop. We talked about rustic wood, chalkboards, vintage frames, vintage tables and chairs, and I knew she needed a chippy old Italian flag. I reached out to one of my favorite bloggers, Marian from Miss Mustard Seed, and inquired about her milk paint. Marian’s milk paint offers a unique chippiness that you really cannot mimic with any other paint. She is so amazing, she replied ‘of course’ and hooked me up with her supplier and I was able to pre-order a couple pints of paint to use on this piece. Emi has received so many compliments on the flag, I think she’s as happy with it as I am!
Cheers to the happy couple who opened their first storefront! And congrats to the successes they’ve had so far! A bright (and delicious) future is in store!
PS: if you’re interested in Emi’s cookies, you can place orders through her website here.
You can also “like” Emi’s Biscotteria on Facebook here!
