Friends Food Family

Dried Cherry Pistachio Biscotti

I love King Arthur Flour! They make a wonderful flour product which I use for all my recipes, whether baking or cooking. But I also like them because of the way they engage with their fans. I follow kingarthurflour on Instagram and they really do interact with their fans. I can't tell you the number of times they have liked some of my Instagram shots. (Follow friendsfoodfam and kingarthurflour on Instagram)

This is very important to me because during the day I am a Senior Business Advisor with the MA Small Business Development Center Network. One of my roles is teaching social media marketing to small businesses. I tell my clients all the time...you need to like, comment and share. You want to engage with your customers and clients. Cultivate your super fan! When companies like King Arthur Flour engage with their customers, who can be food bloggers (like me) who use their product all the time, they want to spread the word. I don't need much to activate my "super fan" powers but a "like" or a "comment" from a major brand is really all I need.

So, now the real story...this year, I am highlighting ingredients that I like for the holiday season and one ingredient happens to be pistachios. As I was looking for pistachio cookie recipes, I happened to be on Instagram and right in front of me was King Arthur's Cherry Pistachio Biscotti. PERFECT - pistachio nuts (green), cherries (red), biscotti that looks festive, I need to try this recipe. I checked the pantry, I had all the ingredients and even had some gold sparkling sugar. 

These cookies were extremely easy to put together and within 30 minutes, I had the biscotti out of the oven and cooling. They smelled delightful. The best part of making biscotti is cutting it for the second baking and eating the ends. It allows me to test them without eating a bunch of cookies. Because I make so many cookies during the holiday - just this weekend I made 7 different types of cookies - you can actualy get tired of eating cookies. But I will say, "those biscotti ends were delicious." The tartness of the cherries, the nuttiness of the pistachios and the crunchy sugar make for a really amazing biscotti. 

I posted the picture of the dried cherry pistachio biscotti on Sunday and everyone is looking for the recipe. Well here it is - go forth and start your holiday baking. Make sure you include these cookies - your friends and family will LOVE you!

PS - My son just came walking through and grabbed a few biscotti, "Mom, these are REALLY good!"

Cherry Pistachio Biscotti (Adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of butter, softened

1-1/3 cups of sugar

3/4 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of baking powder

4 eggs

4 cups of flour (King Arthur, of course!)

2 cups of pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

2 cups of dried cherries, coarsely chopped (if you don't have dried cherries, you can use dried cranberries)

Demerara or sparkling sugar

 

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three large cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl (I use a Kitchen Aid Mixer), beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder on medium high for until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the four eggs, two at a time and beat until well blended.

4. On low speed, blend the flour into the mixture. Once the flour is incorporated, add the dried cherries and pistachios. 

5. Using your hands, roll two logs per tray - 12-13 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Flatten them slightly. Sprinkle tops with demerara sugar or sparkling sugar.

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until the logs are slightly golden and firm to the touch.

7. Remove from oven and allow logs to cool on the tray for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

8. Remove logs from the trays and using a serrated knife, cut the logs on a diagonal into 1 inch slices.

9. Place biscotti onto the cookie trays and bake for 10 minutes. This will help to make the biscotti crispy. If you like more of a chewy biscotti, don't bake a second time.

10. This makes about 60 delicious biscotti.

By Tricia White

Cornmeal Craisin Biscotti with Toasted Walnuts and Orange Zest

Biscotti has always been a favorite of mine, probably because I love crunchy cookies. I also like cookies that have a number of flavors involved and biscotti always seem to have that. Whether nuts, flavorings, chocolate or fruits, you can always enjoy a burst of flavors from these treats.

Every Thursday, I get to enjoy lunch with the United Regional Chamber of Commerce staff. I look forward to these lunches as I actually will take time to enjoy lunch and wonderful conversation. Some Thursdays we will order lunch out, other times, we walk to a cute little sandwich shop called Jonathan's Coffee Cafe. Just recently, Jonathan's began selling little bags of biscotti. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the bakery who makes them, but they are quite good. I was drawn to the Mocha Walnuts and then the Cornmeal Craisin. The cornmeal craisin are delicious...with a hint of orange and crunchy demerara sugar on top.

Last week, my mother had some surgery and I went to her house to make some meals for the week. While I was getting my supplies at the supermarket, I kept thinking about those biscotti. I grabbed a bag of cornmeal and figured my mother should have the other baking ingredients. Once I arrived, I went on a search for some online recipes for cornmeal craisin biscotti. I came across a David Lebovitz recipe called Cormeal Biscotti. It was perfect. My mother had all the ingredients, plus a bag of craisins. I figured I would start with this recipe and then add and subtract a few ingredients after that. The biscotti was very easy to make, all the dry ingredients in one bowl, melt the butter in another bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla and zest - basically done. Place logs on the cookie sheets and we were ready to go. The house smelled wonderful and after the second baking, we were scrambling to taste these biscotti. They were crunchy, the toasted walnuts and crasins brought great flavor with the subtle hint of lemon. As my mother enjoyed a cup of tea, I couldn't tell if she was actually drinking the tea or eating it with the tea soaked biscotti.

The next day when I got home, I knew I would change the recipe a bit. First, I doubled the recipe...I like to save some extra cookies to freeze. Then I swapped out the lemon zest for the orange zest and finished with demerara sugar sprinkled on the top. I think I found my Cornmeal Craisin Biscotti.

I brought a batch to work this past week and everyone loved them. The best comment was my co-worker, Manassah. "I hate you, these are so good!" The best complement I can receive. I also brought a few into the United Regional Chamber. "OK, I need you to try these, I think I recreated our biscotti from Jonathan's", I said to Lisa and Kim. "WOW, I think these taste better", said Lisa. More music to my ears. These are a keeper!

Now, grab some cornmeal, toast some walnuts and make a batch of these biscotti. They will be a perfect holiday treat to enjoy as a quick breakfast or a wonderful dessert with coffee or tea. 

Ingredients for the Cornmeal Craisin Biscotti with Toasted Walnuts and Orange Rind

(We doubles this recipe to make about 60 cookies)

• 3 cups of flour

• 1 cup of cornmeal, preferably stone ground

• 2 cups of sugar

• 2 teaspoons of baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 4 eggs

• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

• Zest of one orange

• 1/2 cup of butter, melted and cooled

• 1-1/2 cups of craisins

• 2 cups of walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

• 3-4 tablespoons of demerara sugar 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place parchment paper on 3 cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl, place the dry ingredients of flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together and then put aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix eggs, vanilla and orange zest with a small hand whisk.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients bowl. Pour in the egg mixture, stir, then add the melted butter. Mix until the batter becomes wet and crumbly. Add the craisins and walnuts and mix to incorporate all ingredients.

5. Place the mixture on a slightly floured counter or board and knead a few times. Divide the dough into three pieces. Roll two logs 2 inches by 13 inches from each piece. Place 2 logs per cookie sheet. 

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden and they feel set. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes.

7. Reduce the oven to 250 degrees. Remove the biscotti from the parchment paper and using a serrated knife, cut the biscotti on a diagonal about 1 inch apart. 

8. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet (no parchment paper needed) and bake for 20 minutes. remove from oven and cool.

9. Enjoy and then freeze a few. Always great to have something special when guests stop by.

Written by Tricia White

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

Back a few years ago, I went on a baking frenzy and was making many different types of biscotti. They were easy to make and I loved the texture, plus...people devoured them quicker than I could make them. I actually got an offer from a local restaurant to make their biscotti but I didn't have a commercial kitchen available so it was a "no go".  

Recently, a little sandwich shop I frequent was selling espresso chip biscotti. After my second round of purchases, I came home and decided that I would make some myself. I pulled out my three biscotti cookbooks and decided to make use of my Williams-Sonoma Cookie and Biscotti Cookbook. The book was written in 1994 but it has some of the best biscotti recipes I've ever made. 

I decided to make the Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti because we had a big bag of hazelnuts sitting in the pantry, I was craving something chocolate, and I actually had a jar of instant espresso. Perfect reason to bake these biscotti and I am also trying to identify cookies for the holidays. Every year I try to highlight different cookies and this year is going to be strictly biscotti.

This Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti recipe had a few unique techniques.

1. You combine the chocolate in the food processor with the brown sugar. You can combine the two until the chocolate chips are completely blended or leave some chunks to blend into the cookies while baking (which is what I did.)

2. Eggs are the main liquid ingredient - no butter or oils. 

3. I chose to use bittersweet chocolate vs semi-sweet. I just really enjoy bittersweet chocolate in a sweet cookie - nice balance.

These cookies came together quickly and I mixed the last of the dough with my hands. Sometimes, when the dough gets tough to mix, I put my hand in and blend the dough. It also allowed me to knead the dough in the bowl, eliminating my having to knead the dough on the wooden pastry board. 

Before I knew it, the biscotti were baked and then baked again. As they were coming out of the oven for the second time, our friends had arrived to enjoy a Labor Day cook-out. My girlfriend, Sharon's son, Ross, was the first to test the cookies. After the first bite he said, "May I have a glass of milk to dip these in? These are great!" I started to laugh. I always think of biscotti as adult cookies, especially with the espresso and hazelnuts. But here is Ross, all of 9, enjoying these delicious treats. 

Over the next month, you will be seeing quite a few biscotti recipes so please bear with me. I want to find an amazing bunch of biscotti recipes for you to share with your friends and family as we head into the next three months of holidays.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti (adapted from Williams-Sonoma)

Ingredients:

½ cup of bittersweet chocolate chips, chopped (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacoa Bittersweet Chocolate Chips)

1 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed

1-3/4 cups of flour

1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa

1-1/2 tablespoons of espresso powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

¼ teaspoon of salt

3 eggs

1-1/4 teaspoon of vanilla

½ teaspoon of almond extract

1 cup of hazelnuts, toasted and chopped coarsely

 

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, using a metal blade, pulse the chocolate and brown sugar until the chocolate is blended with periodic chips seen throughout. Put aside.

3. In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt together. Put aside.

4. In a large bowl, add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract. With a hand whisk, whisk the mixture for one minute. The mixture should be well until blended.

5. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon add the brown sugar and chocolate mix as well as the flour mix to the eggs, vanilla and almond extract.

6. The mixture will become very stiff. Add the hazelnuts.

7. At this point you have a few choices…

A. On a floured board, knead the biscotti dough until it comes together in a soft ball or

B. Place a bit of flour onto your hands and knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together in a soft ball. (I did this and it was much easier and less to clean up.)

8. Cut the ball in half and create two 12-inch logs. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the biscotti logs are firm to the touch.

9. Allow biscotti to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet. Remove from parchment paper and cool completely on cookie racks.

10. Once cool, slice the logs with a serrated knife, at a diagonal, creating cookies 1 inch per slice.

11. Place the slices, standing, on the cookie sheet and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

12. Cool and enjoy! Makes 30-40 cookies

Tozzetti - Like Biscotti, but BETTER

- Tozzetti, similar to Biscotti, buttery and nutty, twice baked cookies -

There is nothing better than making a biscotti style cookie with minimal ingredients and big taste.

I went on a baking kick the other night and decided I wanted to make some biscotti. I came across this recipe in the newest edition of Bon Appetit Magazine (June 2013) called Tozzetti and decided this was going to be my baking project. 

As I did my research, tozzetti are Italian cookies which are in the biscotti family and are usually made with nuts. This recipe calls for almonds, but a few of the others differed from using hazelnuts to adding lemon rind or anise. This recipe was very plain, to the point that I was thinking of adding orange rind or maybe dipping them in chocolate. Then I stopped, sometimes we need to leave well enough alone. What if these cookies were amazing as is. Let's make them and then add addition ingredients the next time.

There are only seven ingredients for the tozzetti - butter, sugar, eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and almonds. Desserts like this don't get any easier. I no more had the batter together when they were in the oven for their first baking. Like everything I do, when the ingredients are simple or the amounts seem small, I double the recipe. So, I had five tozzetti logs on three baking sheets.

After the first round of baking, I took them out of the oven and let them cool. I started cutting the logs to put back into the oven and was enjoying the ends. The cookies were wonderful. They were nice and buttery, not too sweet and had a delicious nutty flavor. Leaving the recipe alone was just what it needed. These were delightful. I yelled into Jeff, "I have the perfect cookie for your ice cream."

Twenty minutes later, the tozzetti were out of the oven and cooling. I scooped Jeff his favorite vanilla ice cream and added two tozzetti cookies. I delivered his dessert to the living room and ran next door to drop a few off with Jeff's mother. As I was getting the last of the cookies out of the oven, Jeff asked if I might be able to bring him another cookie so he could finish his ice cream. I knew I had a great cookie. 

So far, Jeff and his mother enjoyed them, my son, Stephen took a half dozen to work and I treated my clients to some afternoon goodies. Sweet success, this is definitely a keeper. As much as I would love to add lemon or orange zest or maybe dip the bottoms in chocolate, I know this recipe is perfect the way it is. Sometimes recipes should be left alone...no additions and no subtraction...because it allows you to savour the simplicity and ease of making a delicious product.

Enjoy them with wine, coffee, tea, hot chocolate or Jeff's favorite, vanilla ice cream! This is a perfect after dinner dessert.

Ingredients for the Tozzetti

3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, at room temp
2 large eggs
1-3/4 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1-1/4 cups of almonds (I used sliced almonds)

Preparation for the Tozzetti

1. Preheat oven to 325° 
2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions, until combined.
4. On low speed, add dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder), and mix until blended.
5. Add the almonds.
6. Place dough on lightly floured work surface and knead just to bring together, about 2-3 times.
7. Form into 14" long, 2" wide, and 1 inch thick logs. Place logs (2 per sheet) on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
8. Bake until puffed, slightly cracked, and starting to brown, 25–30 minutes. It should be firm.
9. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let logs cool.
10. Using a serrated knife, slice log diagonally 1/2-inch thick.
11. Place slices back on baking sheet and return to the oven for about 15–20 minutes on until golden brown.
12. Remove from oven, cool and enjoy!

They will keep for about a week in a tightly covered container.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 12 - Oatmeal Walnut Biscotti

I'm laughing as I finish this recipe. I have finally completed the 12 Cookies of Christmas. I had promised they would be completed before Christmas and then before the New Year. It is Friday the 13th and what better day to finish. There is a long holiday weekend upon us and a great time to bake some cookies. I have decided that next year it will be the 6 Cookies of Christmas because with my life that's all I'm capable of...I think.

For those who have missed my 12 cookie reicpes, I'm going to list them all so that you can have the completed list.

Day 1 - Aunty Anita's Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Day 2 - Jen's Shortbread Cookies 

Day 3 - Glitter Ball Cookies

Day 4 - Brownie Almond Biscotti

Day 5 - Lemon Drop Cookies

Day 6 - Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate Kiss

Day 7 - White Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Nut Cookies

Day 8 - Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Day 9 - Orange Chocolate Cookies - Jeff's Favorite - Huge Party Favorite

Day 10 - Dipped Gingersnaps

Day 11 - Florentines

Day 12 - Oatmeal Walnut Biscotti 

To finish this list, I will tell you a little bit about the Oatmeal Walnut Biscotti recipe. I found the recipe in Maria Robbin's Biscotti and Other Low Fat Cookies. I have had this book for a long time and periodically make Maria's biscotti. I like them because they combine a great group of ingredients and the biscotti is always delicious.

When you look at the ingredients used in this recipe - brown sugar, toasted oatmeal, maple sugar, raisins and walnuts - you will understand why I like the biscotti. The combination when baked was delightful. I am a big maple syrup fan and when it was combined with the oatmeal and brown sugar it was sweet and crunchy, and the nuts and raisins gave it a chewy, nuttiness. If you dip them in coffee or tea, you have an amazing breakfast treat or afternoon snack.

These probably weren't the greatest to make as one of the 12 Cookies of Christmas but it is one I want to remember because it's simple yet delicious and it's a recipe you can make all the time.

I want to thank my Quincy friends, Stephanie Coose and Kim Palmer along with my social media divas, Jen Vondenbrink, Jen Osojnicki, Dotty Wyman, Diane Dias and Susan Finn. You shared some amazing stories and recipes and for that I am truly grateful. You helped to create the 12 Cookies of Christmas 2011.

Ingredients:

1 cup of rolled oats (not instant)

1-1/2 cups of flour

3/4 cup of light brown sugar

1 teaspoon of baking power

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 large eggs

1/4 cup of pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla

2/3 cup of raisins

1/2 cup of walnuts, finely chopped

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Place oatmeal on a cookie sheet and toast for 12-15 minutes, stirring occassionally until they are lightly golden and fragrant. (The house will smell amazing!)

2. Take 1/2 cup of the oats and grind to a powder in the food processor. (oat flour)

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, oats, oat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. Add the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla and mix until blended.

3. Add the raisins and walnuts and combine into the mix.

4. Using two cookies sheets, make a strip of dough that is (approximately) 3 inches wide by 14 inches long, about 1-1/2 inches thick.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly golden and firm when touched.

6. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes on a baking rack.

7. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.

8. Cutting on the diagonal with a serrated knife, cut bars into 1 inch biscotti.

9. Place biscotti on cookie sheets lying on their side.

10 Bake for 10-15 minutes to slightly toast the biscotti. Flip the cookies once through the baking process. (Turn from one side to the other.)

Allow to cool on cookie sheet.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 4 - Brownie Almond Biscotti

Welcome to Day 4 of The 12 Cookies of Christmas.

So far, we have showcased 2 wonderful shortbread recipes and a delicious chocolate chip meringue. Now it is time for some really easy chocolate biscotti that are made with a brownie mix.

No, you say, a boxed brownie mix. Yes, I cheated, it was easy and very tasty.

Around the holidays, I tend to purchase some of the holiday cookbooks put out by various cooking magazines. This recipe, called Brownie Alpine Biscotti, came from the Taste of Home Cookies and More Booklet. I was looking for something chocolaty for the cookie swap and figured the fudginess of a brownie may make these cookies a big hit. I was making three different cookies for the swap and this recipe was very easy with the most effort going into grinding the almonds. The Brownie Alpine Biscotti recipe also called for almond extract. After I put it in and tasted the batter, I wasn't sure if the almond extract would be too strong. After the biscotti was cooked, the flavor definitely mellowed.

This biscotti has a nice mellowed chocolate taste with the almond flavor taking center stage. I wasn't sure I liked them, but as we discussed the biscotti at the cookie swap, biscotti are great for dipping, whether in coffee, tea or hot chocolate. If you are having biscotti for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack, it complements, not overpowers your drink.

The night after the cookie swap, I sat enjoying a cup of coffee and began dunking the biscotti. It really was delicious. It was nutty and sweet and was a great pairing to the cup of coffee. I started to laugh. At every cookie swap, or party you bring cookies, there are the cookies that get eaten immediately and those you save and eat the next day. I am a "next day" cookie eater. That's when you get to sit and savor, sometimes the best cookie...or in this case, biscotti.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 package of fudge brownie mix

3/4 cup of ground almonds

1/2 cup of flour

3/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1 egg plus 3 egg whites

1 teaspoon of almond extract

1/4 cup of sliced almonds

Preparation:

1. Combine the brownie mix, ground almonds, flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk egg, egg whites and extract. Add to brownie mixture; stir until combined.

3. On a greased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 7-in. x 3-1/2-in. rectangle.

4. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven; cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes.

5. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 3/4-in. slices. Place cut side down on greased baking sheets.

6. Bakreduce oven to 325°, and bake the biscotti for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2-1/2 dozen. 

Boston Globe's Easter Traditions - Italian Taralli

 

I think I survived the holidays? Did you?

I do know that I did quite a bit of baking for Easter and have some interesting recipes to share. The problem is timing. I always wish I had more hours to be able to cook and blog, but sometimes life gets in the way. Or cooking dinner for 26 gets in the way.

I love to make one or two new recipes for the holidays. Last Wednesday, the Boston Globe featured a great story on Italian Easter Traditions. On the cover of the G magazine was a picture of Tarallis. Taralli is a dense bread which is similar to a pretzel or a bread stick. It is boiled and then baked and can be given a sweet or savory finish depending on the ingredients in the recipe. Sweet taralli is made with the basic dough mix and then frosted with a lemon icing. Savory taralli have onion, garlic, poppy seeds or fennel added to the basic or used as a topping before baking.

Before you decide to make taralli, check out the ingredients. (Ok, I'll give you a minute...) Yes, one of the ingredients is Brioschi. Why Brioschi? It has sodium bicarbonate in it. They use it similar to baking soda. It definitely gives the dough a rise when the taralli  is baked. You can find Brioschi at CVS.

So now, mixed reviews. We served them for breakfast and snack on and before Easter. Some family members thought they were delicious, something wonderful to dip in tea or coffee (some people dip them in wine...that works!). Others thought they were OK...a little chewy, a little dry. They are definite something that could be made again and experimented with. I'd like to try the savory type and serve them with a pasta dish or possibly as an appetizer with a dip.

It's a different type of Easter tradition that is worth trying. Grab a cup of coffee, tea or glass of wine...taralli will complement any one. You will definitely find these at my house next year!

Ingredients:

12  eggs
1/4  cup olive oil
2  teaspoons salt
2  tablespoons sugar
1  teaspoon Brioschi
About 7 cups flour, sifted
1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and oil until smooth. Beat in the salt, sugar, and Brioschi. Continue to beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes. Gradually add 4 cups of the flour, continuing to beat the mixture. Add the vanilla and beat well. The dough will be sticky.

Spread the remaining 3 cups of flour on a work surface, making a circle of flour about 15 inches in diameter. Make a wide, shallow well in the middle and turn the wet dough out into it. With a large spoon, draw the flour into the dough, going around the perimeter of the flour circle and kneading in the flour with your hands as you do. When all the flour is incorporated, you will have a stiff, firm dough.

With your hands, knead the dough vigorously and thoroughly for at least 10 minutes (the longer the better); eventually, the dough will become elastic and smooth. When sliced, it will have visible air bubbles inside. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Slice the dough into 12 pieces. With your hands, roll each into a thick snake about 9 inches long. Join each snake’s ends (overlap them slightly) to form a ring, pinching the ends to make a tight seal. Place 4 rings in the boiling water; they will sink to the bottom. When they rise to the surface, add 4 more dough rings to the pot. Remove the first batch of rings from the boiling water 2 to 3 minutes after they’ve surfaced, and wrap them in a dish towel to keep them warm. Repeat this process until all the dough rings are boiled. While the rings are warm, score the outside of each ring (as if you were going to slice it like a bagel, but without slicing it through) around the entire periphery.

Place the rings in the oven directly on the oven racks. Bake the taralli for 35 to 40 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown and very dry and crisp.

For icing:
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons of water
1 pound of confectioner's sugar

Mix lemon juice and water together. Add liquid mixture to the confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until it is of a loose frosting consistency. Spread on cooled taralli and sprinkle with colored jimmies or colored sugar.

Bon Appetit's Hazelnut-Cinnamon Biscotti

 

Tuesday, I had to drive across town in the middle of our most recent snow storm. The only good thing about it was stopping at Hilliard's on the way home. Hilliard's is a local chocolate (and incredible candy) store in Easton, MA. They have the best hot chocolate mix and homemade marshmallows. Nothing better when you are in the midst of the 5th snowstorm of the season and more snow to add to the four feet we have already! UGH.

Now that I had the hot chocolate, I needed something to dunk in it. Looking at recipes for chocolate toffee cookies, I realized I didn't need anymore chocolate, I needed something to compliment chocolate. Thumbing through another one of my Christmas gifts, Bon Appetit Desserts: All Things Sweet and Wonderful, I came across quite a few biscotti recipes. I wanted something nutty, but not too sweet. Hazelnut-Cinnamon Biscotti seemed the best choice.

I know I always speak about ease of a recipe and this one was easy! I mixed the entire recipe in my food processor. Outside of having to toast the hazelnuts, I had these blended and in the oven in five minutes. One thing I did was to add some cinnamon sugar to the top of the biscotti. If you saw the picture Bon Appetit displayed it looked like there was a sugary topping.

The biscotti were a perfect match for the hot chocolate. Buttery and nutty with wonderful hints of orange rind and cinnamon. We enjoyed hot chocolate and biscotti at 8:30 PM that night with Jeff's parents. As they are house bound it was nice to hold the warmed mug and dip biscotti as the snow was falling and changing to frozen ice.

As Valentine's day is nearing, why not make some delicious hot chocolate and add a few biscotti. A great gift that will warm any heart! Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 cups of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup of hazelnuts, toasted, husked (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon of grated orange peel
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 large eggs

(Topping: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to 3 teaspoons of sugar)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl; set aside.
Coarsely chop hazelnuts in processor. Transfer to small bowl.
Combine sugar and butter in processor; blend until fluffy.
Add orange peel and vanilla extract and blend well.
Add eggs 1 at a time, blending just until incorporated after each addition.
Add flour mixture; mix using on/off turns until just blended.
Mix in hazelnuts using on/off turns until just blended.

Turn dough out onto floured work surface.
Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 9-inch-long, 2-inch-wide log.
Space logs 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Flatten each to 12-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. (Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix.)
Bake until very light golden and firm to touch, about 25 minutes.
Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Using metal spatula, transfer logs to work surface.
Using serrated knife, cut logs diagonally into 3/4-inch-wide slices.
Place slices, cut side down, on large baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes.
Turn biscotti over; bake until light golden and firm, about 15 minutes longer.
Transfer biscotti to racks and cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 10 - Bread & Chocolate's Cranberry Orange Pistachio Biscotti

 

Last year, the Boston Globe highlighted 10 cookies from area bakeries called Holiday Cookie Extravaganza. I have highlighted a few recipes from this article and decided to try the Cranberry Orange Pistachio Biscotti as my festive holiday cookie.

I love biscotti!

A few years ago, my Christmas Cookie list was filled with biscotti. As we get past the holiday season, I will begin to pull out some of those favorites...maybe as a withdrawal to all of this sugar...ho! ho! ho!

Eunice Feller, owner of Bread & Chocolate Bakery Cafe, had this to say about the cookies, " she likes to have these cookies on the holiday dessert table for her husband’s large Italian family. The biscotti are packed with dried cranberries and pistachios, and a drizzle of melted chocolate sweetens each bite."

She describes very well the deliciousness of these cookies. They are buttery and sweet, but the cranberries, orange and pistachios give it a wonderful fruit and nut flavor. The chocolate compliments the cookie but never overpowers the other ingredients.

Enjoy this biscotti after you have celebrated your holiday meal or maybe you can enjoy it as a wonderful breakfast treat as you unwind from a crazy holiday season.

Ingredients:

5 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and still warm

4 eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 2 medium oranges

1½ cups dried cranberries

1½ cups shelled, unsalted pistachios

Icing

8 ounces good-quality white (or dark) chocolate

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until the dough comes together. Mix in the cranberries and pistachios. Divide the dough in half.

Shape each half into a 13-inch-by-3½-inch rectangular loaf (about 1 inch thick). Place the loaves on the prepared sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Bake in the middle position for 30 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through baking. The loaves should be lightly golden and give slightly in the middle when gently pressed. Remove the loaves from the oven and cool on the pan for 30 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and move oven racks to top and lower-middle positions. Carefully transfer the loaves to a large cutting board. Using a long serrated knife in a long sawing motion, cut the loaves into slices ½ to ¾ inch thick. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and place the biscotti cut-side down on them.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, or until the biscotti are firm and lightly golden. (When you rotate the sheets, check the bottom sides of the biscotti; if they are browning, turn over to the other cut side.) Remove the biscotti from the oven and cool completely on the pan.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently. Drizzle or spread it over the tops of the biscotti. Place the biscotti on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax paper, to let the chocolate dry. Store the biscotti in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This makes about 40 biscotti.

 

Giada's Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

  
I have a new favorite cookie, Giada's Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti. Though it looks like a cookie, it crunches like a biscotti. And this is the final recipe, in our week long dinners and desserts from Giada De Laurentiis', Giada's Kitchen- New Italian Favorites.

The thing I liked the best was the crunch from both the cookie and the nuts. The other thing I did was chop some hazelnut chocolate (about 1/2 cup) and added it to the cookies. I happened to find the chocolate at Sid Wainer & Son, a gourmet food outlet in New Bedford, MA. Knowing I was making the cookies, I picked up a chunk of the chocolate. It was sweet with a mild chocolate flavor, perfect with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

I'll end with, treat yourself to something wonderfully tasteful, bake yourself a batch!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
• I added a 1/2 cup of hazelnut chocolate (which I found at Sid Wainer and Son)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another medium bowl combine the butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, sugar, and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream the ingredients together, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Add the hazelnuts and stir until just combined.

Using a tablespoon measure, spoon out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, spacing the mounds about 4 inches apart. Use the tines of a fork to flatten the cookie dough. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.