One of my favorite Christmas treats is biscotti. It’s so much fun to make and has become a tradition to make at Christmastime: one day in December, I will take the afternoon or morning to make biscotti, as it’s a bit more involved than regular cookies.  I was taught how to make biscotti by a sweet young lady when I was 10 or 11 years old.

Biscotti is a dry, crisp, cookie that is enjoyed with a cup of tea, coffee, milk, cider, or cocoa. It can be made ahead and frozen for weeks in advance. The process of making biscotti can be a bit tricky at first, so I’m including step-by-step pictures. I always double or triple the recipe, but here are the original measurements. Biscotti makes a lovely gift wrapped in clear bags with a festive ribbon!

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Ingredients:

½ cup butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoons salt
1 cup sliced almonds

In a large bowl (I use our Bosch bowl with cookie whips), use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and almond extract. Mix until smooth.

In a different bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa.

Add to creamed mixture. Mix until dough forms and then add the almonds. This dough will be very stiff and hard to work with.

Now you can preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into three equal piles.

Form each pile into a narrow rectangle, side by side on a greased jelly roll pan or large baking pan (you should be able to fit all three logs onto one sheet).

Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.  Take out and let cool for about ten minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Now carefully remove each log to a cutting board. Cut the logs into ½ – ¾ inch slices. You should get about seven or eight slices from each one.

Turn each slice on its side and bake for 10 minutes at 300 degrees.

Take out and turn each biscotti on its other side. Bake for 10 more minutes at 300. Transfer biscotti to a wire to cool.

When cooled, melt 3-4 squares of white chocolate coating (I use Plymouth Pantry or you can use 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips).

Add a few teaspoons of shortening until you reach the desired consistency for drizzling. With a spoon, drizzle the tops of each biscotti with coating and let sit until the chocolate hardens.

Alternatively, you can put the melted chocolate in a plastic bag (like a Ziplock). Snip one corner just a TINY bit, and drizzle it like that. I prefer this method because it’s more delicate and you don’t have to worry about the chocolate thickening as you drizzle it. :)

 This recipe makes about 2 dozen biscotti.

(Here are the directions in a more condensed version for printing)

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and almond extract and mix until smooth. In a different bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. Add to creamed mixture. Mix until dough forms and add almonds. Dough will be very stiff.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Divide dough into three equal piles. Form each pile into a flattened log, spaced 2 inches apart and place on a large greased baking sheet (you should be able to fit all three logs onto one sheet). Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

Take out and let cool for about ten minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Cut each of the logs into ½ – ¾ inch slices. You should get about seven or eight slices from each log. Turn each slice on its side and bake for 10 minutes. Take out and turn each biscotti on its other side and bake for 10 more minutes.

Transfer biscotti to a wire rack and let cool. After cooled, melt 1-2 squares of almond bark coating with a few teaspoons shortening in the microwave. Add shortening until you reach the desired consistency for drizzling. With a spoon, drizzle the tops of each biscotti with coating and let sit until hardened. Alternatively, you can put the melted chocolate in a plastic bag (like a Ziplock). Snip one corner just a TINY bit, and drizzle it like that.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen biscotti. You can easily double or triple the batch. They freeze very well. Enjoy!

Now that I have resumed full control over this blog…. :) :)

I promised to put up something savory and unbaked in my last recipe post. Well, here is an easy salad recipe that is so-o-o good! It goes with almost any meal, and can be whipped up in just a few minutes. It’s a delightful change from the regular vegetable salad and dressing combination. This recipe can be adjusted to your family’s needs- these are just the proportions that I use.

Salad:
8 cups of spinach, romaine lettuce, or a combination of the two
1 15-oz can of mandarin oranges, sliced
1 6-oz can of black olives
1/2 red onion, diced

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In a large salad bowl, combine salad, mandarin oranges, olives, and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Just before serving, add dressing mixture to salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle feta cheese on top, and serve. Enjoy!

These pumpkin bars are delicious and a breeze to make! They’re perfect to bring to potlucks, as this recipe makes a 10 by 15 sheet pan. We got this recipe from some friends of ours several years ago. I’ve been making them ever since, especially in the fall. Even for those of you don’t like pumpkin pie, I’m sure you’ll love these bars. Give them a try- you won’t regret it!

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar, brown or white (I use one cup of each)
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin (You can use one regular size can of pumpkin- it’s a bit less I think, but that’s okay)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 by 15  jelly roll pan. In mixer, beat together sugar and eggs. Add oil and pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture. Beat well. Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool, and then frost with cream cheese frosting.

Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar gradually, one cup at a time, and add the vanilla. Beat until smooth. Save the beaters for your brothers when they come asking for tasters! :)

Note: if you would prefer to not make a huge pan of these, you could halve the recipe and bake it in a 9 by 13 pan. I’ve never made it that way, but I’m sure they will still turn out!

You’ve probably detected a trend in my recipes by now. Yes, I love to bake and I do have a sweet tooth. I will try to put up some savory recipes in the posts to follow.  :)