Homemade Chocolate Fruit and Nut Biscotti

It was a wonderful Saturday morning and I caught myself thinking back about the bakeries in San Francisco, where I would do the marjority of my reading for classes. A typical trip to Tartine or Crepes on Cole would involve a mug of tea, either chai, vanilla jasmine, a smooth earl gray, or perhaps something floral, like hibiscus. Then, I would joyfully select a biscotti...that was my favorite pairing.

Over the last year, I have been learning how to make biscotti. It is my divine treat and quite a pricey one. My favorite one to purchase now is Irene's biscotti. It is sliced thin, full of flavor, and combined with fruit that caramelizes while baking....not too much but just enough to get a slightly chewy texture around the fruit, but remain otherwise very crispy....

After a few trials, I think I have it.
I promise you, this is a must try. It is delicious.

**Recipe adapted from King Arthur Whole Wheat Baking cookbook

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup raisins and dried cranberries

Recipe:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a large cookie sheet or a half-sheet (18" x 13") pan.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla till smooth.

3) Add the eggs and beat till the mixture is well combined. It may look a big coagulated, which is perfect.

4) Add the flour and oats, mixing to combine.

5) Stir in the chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, and cranberries.

6) Divide the dough into four equal pieces, placing them on the prepared baking sheet.

7) Shape each piece into a rough log about 10" to 11" long, placing the logs crosswise on the sheet, and spacing them about 2" apart. (Yes, your hands will get a little sticky). Using your wet fingers and/or a wet spatula, flatten and smooth the logs till they're about 3/4" thick, and about 1 1/4" wide.

8) Spritz the top of each log with water.

9) Bake the logs for 23 to 25 minutes, until they're beginning to brown around the bottom edges. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool right on the pan for about 10 minutes. Spritz with water and let them cool for another 15 to 20 minutes. While the logs are cooling, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

10) Cut the logs crosswise into 1/2" to 3/4" slices, using a sharp chef's knife.

11) Place the biscotti back on the baking sheet, spacing them close together without touching.

12) Bake the biscotti for 25 minutes, until their cut edges are a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven. Allow to cool completely on the pan (especially before storing, otherwise these will be soggy the next day).

Berry Shortbread Bars

As an active member of various organizations, I often have to prepare a dish or light bite for socials and other networking events. With an over-flowing freezer and the need to clear some space, I pulled out a bag of frozen berries and decided to make a shortbread based bar, but incorporating a little granola (i.e. granola bars) to make this a quicker, easier, and more fiber-full treat. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. 

Berry Shortbread Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 1/2 chewy granola bars

Filling:
3 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Topping:
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp nonfat greek yogurt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar or substitute
1 cup whole wheat flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Start by making the crust. In a medium bowl, stir together the 1 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, crumbled granola bars, and salt. I used the kashi vanilla almond bars because they are awesome and the flavor will not overwhelm the filling. An oat and honey granola bar would work also. Cut in the 1/2 cup sour cream until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg and vanilla together; stir into the crumb mixture until a dough forms. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Note: If the mixture is too sticky, add a little oatmeal and mix in until combined.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, prepare the blueberry mixture.
• Combine the 1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute and nutmeg; sprinkle over the blueberries. Add the lemon juice. Set aside.
• Make the topping: In a medium bowl, cream together the 5 tablespoons butter and brown sugar until smooth. Alternatively put in a mini food processor to make this even faster. Lastly, mix in the flour, so that the mixture is crumbly like streusel. Sprinkle over the blueberry layer.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until browned. Cool before cutting into bars.

Banana Cookies with Zing

Do you love Bananas? I really don't, thus they often end up highly ripened in my pantry. I was looking for ideas about how to use these ripe bananas. I was inspired by a cookie recipe from 101cookbooks, another food blog that publishes creative recipes. While I don't love bananas, per se, I do love a cookie. I mean, who doesn't love cookies.


I came up with my own version for a cookie recipe, using bananas as the base, but also incorporating some crystallized ginger, made by my mom in a way that preserves the zingy flavor of the ginger. This is the best crystallized ginger I ever had.


Also, I managed to forget to add any oil or butter to the recipe (as posted below) and they still came together and tasted great. A fat-free cookie treat.

Banana Cookies with Zing


Ingredients: 

2 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups bran cereal (finely ground)
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup crystallized ginger (finely ground)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup pecans (ground but not fine)

Recipe:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.

(2) In a large bowl combine the bananas and vanilla extract. Set aside. 

(3) In another bowl whisk together the ground cereal, almond meal, crystallized ginger, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. 

(4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. 

(5) Fold in the pecans. The dough is looser than a standard cookie dough, like a drop cookie. 

(6) Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. I baked these as long as possible without burning the bottoms and they were perfect - 17 minutes was perfect in my oven.

(7) Allow to cool 10-20 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long).

Makes about 2 dozen bite-sized cookies.

Lemon Poppy-seed Teacakes

I was looking for a recipes to use some remaining poppy seeds. I looked through my cookbooks and was inspired by a Russian Teacakes recipe. 

I found that the combination of whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and poppy seeds, created a texture that was irresistible. The addition of lemon adds the flavor of Spring.


I shared these with some co-workers and faculty at my graduate institution. They were a big hit!






Lemon Poppy-seed Teacakes
adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain baking cookbook


Ingredients:


1 1/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup almond meal (or chopped walnuts)
11 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 tbsp splenda or 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup of confectioners' sugar for coating (optional)


Recipe:


(1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use without parchment, ungreased. 
(2) In a food processor, pulse the oats and flours until everything is finely ground. If using almond meal add to the processor, and pulse to mix.
(3) In a medium bowl, beat the butter, Splenda, and salt until smooth. Beat in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Then the oat mixture. 
(4) Roll the dough into teaspoon-size balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart.


(5) Bake the cookies, reversing the pans midway through (top to bottom, bottom to top), for 15 minutes. (Note: They won't have begun to brown, perhaps maybe at bottom edge.)

(6) Meanwhile, spoon about 1 cup confectioners' sugar into a plastic bag. (The cookies taste great even without the sugar coating, so go ahead and try one before coating...I did!)


(7) Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Place the warm cookies in the bag and shake gently to coat with sugar. Allow them to cool completely, then shake them in the sugar again, adding more sugar to bag if needed. (This is very important, if you want the sugar coating to be very apparent for serving.)


Place the cookies on the sheet once more, to allow time for the sugar to adhere, before serving or storing.

Peanut Butter Chews

Peanut Butter Chews for my (little) brother

It is the holiday season. My 24-year old little (always will be) brother tore his ACL playing soccer. He has had the surgery and is now doing the hard-part, regaining the strength and flexibility in his knee. He is recovery really well but can't travel for the holidays.

Therefore, along with his Christmas gift, I decided to send some freshly baked peanut butter cookies (his favorite).

I adapted the recipe from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook, coincidently a gift from him for my birthday. The book is amazing and has expanded the range of whole grain recipes, which I use.

Time (prep + bake): 40 min

Adapted Recipe using a combo of peanuts and almonds:

1/2 cup almond meal (or dry-roasted peanuts)
1 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Jiffy)
6 packets of Splenda (or 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar)
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar (or could use 6 more packets of splenda if want it sugar-free)
1 large egg
1/4 cup water
2 TBSP honey (or dark corn syrup)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

(2) You could use a food processor, hand or stand mixer, or the old-fashioned fork. I used my KitchenAide hand-mixer. Place peanut butter, sugars, egg, water, honey, vanilla, baking soda and salt into bowl. Blend on low speed (1-2) to thoroughly combine.

(3) Add flour and almond meal. Pulse until well combined. The dough will be somewhat stiff.

(4) Drop the dough by tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet. Press the top of each cookie with a fork to make a crisscross design, flattening the cookies to about 1/2" thick. Dip the fork in cold water if it starts to stick.

(5) Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.



This recipe yields 2 dozen cookies.
Enjoy!

Chocolate-dipped Coconut macaroons

In Northern California, its december but it is autumn. The leaves are falling.
I have experimented with several delicious recipes in the past. I am a huge chocolate and nuts fan so I added some dark chocolate and almond meal to this easy, quick recipe from epicurious.

Here are my modifications to the recipe:

2 large egg white
1 packet of splenda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (omitted but would be good)
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 almond meal

Mix together.
Bake in a preheated oven 300°F for 15-20 min.
Cool on a rack for 10 min.
Dip in dark chocolate (4 oz melted in a bowl in the microwave med. setting 1-2 min)
Resist eating and allow to cool on a baking sheet.

Enjoy!