Flexible Biscotti

I know Biscotti is not flexible...but this recipe sure is.  This is another one of those recipes where you add what ever you want to the dough and suddenly, it's a different cookie.

I know not everyone is a biscotti fan.  But after seeing Byerly's selling 1 cookie for $2.95.  I couldn't help but feel ripped off.

Boys requested chocolate chip + Heath Bar

2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder


**Sift together**

1 stick softened butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla


**Cream**

2 Eggs


*Add to the butter mixture.  Add Flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until incorporated.

Suggested Mix-ins:

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup candied ginger (add 1 tsp powdered ginger to flour if you do this) + 2 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup dried cranberries with 1/2 cup pistachios
2 tsp lemon zest + 1 Tblsp Poppy Seeds

Form dough into a 12 inch log and flatten slightly.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

With a serrated knife, cut baked log at an angle into 1 inch slices and flip them onto their sides on the baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for another 15 minutes (biscotti = twice baked).

If you are feeling adventurous.  Dip one side of the cookie into melted chocolate.

My friends know what they are getting for Christmas!

English Cream Scones

Ever have a cup of heavy cream left over from another recipe?  I had a cup left over from making mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.  It just sat there looking at me, begging to be used in something other than being whipped into pie topping.  AH HA!  Scones!

Many people think of scones as these dry pucks of bread.  Something cross between a muffin and a saltine.  Not these!  I would go to Bread and Chocolate on Grand and Victoria and fork over $3 for these English Currant Scones.  Fluffy, moist, not too sweet.

Milk Chocolate Chip Scones

Time to get out the food processor.  I'm not a fan of using it because they are a pain to clean.   But this recipe...you need it.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2 Cups Flour
1 Tblsp Baking Powder
3 Tblsp Sugar

**Pulse in food processor fitted with a metal blade 4-5 times**

Add 5 Tblsp cold butter cut into small cubes

**Pulse until mixture looks like sand**

Slowly pour in 1 Cup Heavy Cream.

**Pulse until mixture comes together.  It will be sticky.

Add in what ever you like to the mixture.  Suggestions:

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Dried Cranberries
White Chocolate
Lemon Zest

After adding your mix-in, plop dough on a floured surface and form in to a 1 inch thick, 12 inch long flattened rectangle.  Transport yourself back to 5th grade geometry...cut dough into equal sized triangles.

Take your scone triangles and brush with heavy cream and sprinkle raw sugar over the top.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 14 minutes or until browned.  Eat warm!

Almond Bark - The White Canvas

Ever have one of those moments when you get a little tiny thought in your brain and it won't go away?  My little thought was Almond Bark.  I had a pound of  Almond Bark in my pantry that was calling my name.

As I stood in front of my pantry with block of said Almond Bark in hand, I thought of the various goodies I could put throw in.  I grabbed some roasted salted almonds and some dried cranberries!

Sweet Art!

Here's the steps...it's so easy even guys could make it!

1. Chop Almonds into small pieces - no measuring, just as much or as little as you like - I used 2 cups 
2. Chop Almond Bark into small pieces into a glass microwave safe bowl
3. Melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between intervals
4. Pour melted Almond Bark over a sheet of parchment inside a cookie sheet
5. Sprinkle with chopped almonds
6. Sprinkle with dried cranberries
7. Allow to set and cool and break into small pieces

TA DA!  

Just a few other things I thought could be sprinkled on top:

• Peppermint candies
• Peanuts - I'm in a peanut free house...but that would be great!
• Dried Cherries with Dark Chocolate Chips
• Gummy Bears
• Heath Bar pieces
• The list is endless!

Go forth and create your own little gem of goodness!

Chocolate Chocolate Chewy Cookie - C^4

It's no secret, when I'm bored, I bake.  Tonight I was bored.  So I took my old standby chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe and doctored it up.  Let's see, let's add some Milk Chocolate...oh...let's see what some cocoa powder does to it.  Turned out pretty good (according to my kids and husband)!

The pile o'cookies!

-Mix together well in a mixer:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 melted sticks of butter
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites

-Sift
4 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cups good quality cocoa powder
1 box vanilla pudding
1 tsp baking soda

Add flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture and mix.  Add 2 cups of milk chocolate chips.

Drop by the spoonfuls (I made these big because I was lazy) on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

The Coconut Macaroon!

I have eaten all the Mounds Bars from the pile of Halloween candy.  As I wandered aimlessly through the kitchen, it hit me...I can make my own!  They are called Coconut Macaroons!

Ina Garten always comes through for me.  So I did a quick search and found this easy recipe:

Action Shot as they bake

14 ounce can of condensed milk
14 ounces of shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla
-Mix in a bowl

2 egg whites room temp
-Beat into stiff peaks

Fold egg whites into the coconut/milk mixture.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets.

Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees.

To make them "Mounds Bars" I'm going to dip the bottoms after they've baked and cooled into melted dark chocolate.

Applesauce Cookies

It's that time of year when apples appear in my kitchen and I get overwhelmed with thoughts of what to do with them. They come from my parent's over productive apple trees thanks to my dad's over-zealous fertilizing and bug spraying.   My mother-in-law and my mom decided that applesauce was the answer to a small percentage of the apples.

I thought I'd stick with the cookie route today.  After I made these, I have determined that they are "suitable for breakfast".  That is what I told my kids and they answered with a, "yay!"

Give it a try!  They were like muffin tops but better because you don't have to deal with the annoying muffin bottom.  I would bet a cream cheese frosting would work also!

3 Cups Flour
3 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Baking Soda
*Sift
1 1/2 Cups of Brown Sugar
1 Cup Softened Butter
2 Eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1 Cup Applesauce

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternating with the applesauce.  Mix at low speed until all the flour is incorporated.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on to parchment lined cookie sheets.  Sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cupcakes!

I was asked to bake 100+ cupcakes for an event at work.  It was a good opportunity to experiment on a grand scale with my new recipe for red velvet.  Apparently it's a southern recipe.  Growing up I always was put off by the RED color...thinking it should be flavored cherry, strawberry or some sort of red fruit.  But I have found the recognizable color with the cream cheese frosting is very appealing to many folks.

Front Row - Red Velvet / Back Rows - Chocolate Fudge

Here's the recipe!

2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 Tblsp Cocoa Powder
***Sift Above Ingredients

1 Cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp RED food coloring - I think for my next try, I'll use black in honor of Alannah Myles
1 tsp distilled vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
***Mix in Large Bowl

Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients

Bake in muffin cups lined with paper liners at 350 for 25 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting!

2 8oz packages of Cream Cheese at room temp
2 sticks of Butter at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
***Beat in Mixer until light and fluffy

4 Cups Powdered Sugar - Add to Cheese and Butter Mixture 1/2 cup at a time

Make sure cupcakes are cooled before frosting...or you'll have a melty mess on your hands!