Holi-daze

The holi-daze are here. You know what I mean. I love the reason for the season, but all of the holiday hubbub often gets me down.This year is different as our son, Chris, is home for Christmas for two weeks. I am grateful our child--still our child at any age--has arrived here safely along with his girlfriend and her pooch, and I am embracing the youthful energy and activity.

Of course, mixers are whirring, pasta pots boiling, saute pans sizzling and Dutch ovens simmering. Dinners are being cooked and lingered over, dinner parties are being planned and some restaurant dinners are thrown in for good measure.

I hope all of you have everything you want this holiday season, and enjoy good health, joy and abundance in the new year.

I would like to share some of our favorite things this season through the links below:


My absolute favorite recipe for gingersnaps 

Chocolate Cherry and Chile Biscotti

A delicious make-ahead dish of honeyed chicken with raisins and apricots

Skillet Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes

We had a great dinner at ABC Kitchen in NYC--the Ginger Margaritas are outrageous

One of Chris' favorite pasta recipes for dinner tonight Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Enjoy!

 

Remembrance of Things Past

John and I had just finished off a bag of Maria's biscotti which we came across at a farmer's market in western New Jersey. They were black olive biscotti.  Perfect with a glass of wine or as an accompaniment to an antipasto platter.

It got me thinking. I've made savory biscotti in the past, but not for a long time.  As I started to look around for inspiration, I came across this recipe which very much reminded me of the delicious cheese straws I used to make in my youth for all of our dinner parties. They were light, flaky, buttery twists filled with sharp cheddar cheese and spiced with cayenne pepper. They were also labor intensive and time consuming. My youth has long since passed, and I no longer spend my time twisting cheese straws. So I thought why not combine the flavors of those gorgeous flaky treats with the ease of biscotti?

Of course, me being me, I had to tinker with the recipe adding butter and playing with the amount of flour.  They didn't turn out as expected, so I went back to the original.  These biscotti lack the buttery flavor, and I  do think a bit more tinkering may be in order. But  they hit the spot when you want something uncomplicated with a touch of heat.

Biscotti

As I have said before, biscotti are my favorite cookies to bake. These twice-baked cookies are easy to make and the perfect sweet, and sometimes savory, treat for any occasion.

I came across a forgotten bag of coconut hiding in my freezer. My friend, L, loves coconut, and I was at home all day. So it should come as no surprise that biscotti is what I chose to bring to dinner with friends last weekend.

COCONUT BISCOTTI

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 heaping cup sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

In a food processor, process sugar and butter until creamy.  Add vanilla extract and eggs, and process until combined. Then add dry ingredients and pulse until just incorporated. Stir in coconut.

Form dough into two logs on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle logs with additional coconut and bake for about 30 minutes until logs begin to color.  Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 minutes.

Cut each log into slices and place standing up on baking sheet. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. If they color too quickly, turn oven down to 300 degrees.

Cool completely and enjoy!

Note:
You may or may not want to decrease the sugar a bit, as the coconut adds additional sweetness.
Makes about 20 cookies, depending on how large you choose to cut the slices.

Biscotti Anytime

Biscotti are my favorite cookies to bake. These Italian twice-baked cookies are as versatile as they are easy to make. They go perfectly with a cup of cappucino for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. They are a tasty complement to afternoon coffee, and they are perfect with dessert.

Many years back, when my son was young and we were experiencing a long snowy winter, I began my search for the perfect biscotti recipe. Through trial and error--and eating a lot of cookies--I came upon what I believe to be the perfect formula for me.

During my research I found  that most recipes I tried had about the same amounts of flour and sugar. But what seemed to vary the most was the amount of fat. The amount or lack of fat in a recipe seemed to considerably affect the texture, taste and the shelf life of the biscotti. Shelf-life was not something I needed to worry about because having an adolescent boy and his friends in the house rendered that concern moot. Of course, there are many traditional recipes for biscotti that do not use any fat. But the possibility of cracking a tooth on a too hard cookie did not appeal to me.

So I started to experiment. The amount of flour, sugar, baking powder and salt were pretty much a constant. I always used eggs but varied the amount of unsalted butter I used until the recipe produced a crisp but tender crumb. I have even made biscotti with olive oil with success; and with agave nectar with a little less success.

 

One of the fun things about making biscotti is that the variations and flavors are endless.  By changing a few ingredients--type of nuts, dried fruits, extracts, citrus zests, spices-- you can make an infinite variety of cookies. Don't be afraid to try savory ingredients, too. The biscotti take well to spicy and cheesy. And like making a risotto, once you learn the process, the sky's the limit.

The basic formula that continues to work for me for most of my recipes is 2 cups of flour, 3/4 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 6 tablespoons unsalted butter.

After the dough is made and patted into logs, it goes into the oven for its first baking.

After approximately 30 minutes, the dough is removed from the oven and cooled on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes.

 The logs are cut on the diagonal with a sharp knife and returned to the oven for 10-15 minutes for the second baking to ensure crispness.

Cool biscotti completely on racks before storing.


 Why not try a batch of these delicious twice-baked cookies. You are sure to love them.

Spicy Orange Walnut Biscotti

Adapted from a recipe by EvanKleiman @kcrwevan

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons citrus zest of your choice
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and black pepper.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and citrus zest.

 Blend in the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed, then stir in the nuts and mix until the dough just comes together. Do not over mix.

Halve dough, and with floured hands, form dough into two 12 inch by 2 inch logs.This dough is a bit sticky, so you may want to wet your hands instead of flouring them. Place logs about 3 inches apart on parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.  Place sheet on rack in middle of oven.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until firm to touch.

Remove from oven and let logs cool on baking sheet for 10-15 minutes. Slice each log slightly on the diagonal into approximately 12  3/4 inch pieces.  Place cut side down on baking sheet and return to oven for 10-15 minutes turning over once.

 Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or in the freezer.

It is easy to grab as few or as many as you need, and they are ready to eat by the time the coffee is poured.  Makes about 2 dozen.


Note: I have edited the original post for updating and clarity 2/6/2016