Day 26: Biscotti Al Cioccolato E Noce

Otherwise known as Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti, for those of us who only know the Italian that is taught in the bathroom at Macaroni Grill.

For the last few days I have been searching the Internet for a biscotti recipe to make. When I was younger and had more time on my hands, I made biscotti often, sometimes when I wasn't even trying to. I'm not sure what it is about the process that makes it kind of fun to make. Maybe its that I imagine I am a famous Italian Pastry Chef working at a chic San Francisco bakery turning out the world's most amazing biscotti while espresso machines whir and hiss around me. Or maybe its that it is really just kind of easy to make but looks very professional.
Some of the recipes I contemplated sounded amazing. There was a Chocolate Filled Cream Cheese Biscotti. Sounds so good, but at 5am I just couldn't wrap my head around all of the steps...we'll table this one for another day. Then there was the Pumpkin Biscotti. This one I had every intention of making, except that I do not have any pumpkin, dried cranberries or pistachios. Sure those things are readily available at my nearby market, but that would have meant brushing my hair and putting on a bra...Pass! Finally I found  Biscotti Al Cioccolato E Noce. Great Italian name (adds legitimacy) and very easy. In fact, the ease of the recipe made me very nervous. I have read recipes that call for overnight chilling, double boilers and yeast...Yeast! for crying out loud.

I will probably dip their little bottoms in chocolate later

Yes, this recipe was easy. Funny little thing to mention though, the ingredients listed at the top are not exactly the same as what is in the instructions. Nothing major, just that the recipe calls for 3/4 cups semi sweet chocolate. It doesn't say melted or broken, etc. But when reading the instructions, it says chocolate chips. Good, because that is what I had. Then it lists an additional 1 tbsp. of sugar. Again, reading the instructions, all of the sudden it says to sprinkle dough with confectioners' sugar. What?? Where did that come from? No biggie, I still had about a tablespoon to spare. But what a funny little game the author of this recipe is playing. I am convinced Martha is behind this somehow, some way.

Biscotti is a very appropriate treat to make around Christmas time because it must be cut immediately after coming out of the oven. This will leaving you swearing to the the Virgin Mary, Jesus and all that is Holy and Bright. Wear gloves and have any small children out of ear shot.
Maybe the real reason I like making Biscotti so much is that I can justify Biscotti as a breakfast food. I mean, if I am dipping it in my coffee...Right? Just saying.

Day 8: Shortbread and Why Martha Stewart Cannot Be Trusted

 So today I was feeling a little unmotivated, maybe something to do with rockin' all night at the Pixies concert last night...maybe. So I searched the web for a cookie to make today and stumbled upon Martha Stewart's Holiday Cookies. I KNOW better than to trust Martha Stewart, but somehow she continues to suck me into her web. (Google "Martha Stewart recipes never work") Before I explain, stop reading here and visit this link. Got it? Okay, sounds simple enough, cookies look really good too. But here's the thing about Martha...she seems to leave out key elements of her recipe. Things you need to know or be shown in order to make the recipe work. I have made Martha's cakes, candies and cookies and each time I curse her name and swear "never again" This time she fails to mention there is no way possible to roll a shortbread dough into a log. (Okay, it is possilbe, but very difficult). So then you freeze the dough. And guess what is harder than molding shortbread dough into a log? that's right, slicing a log of frozen shortbread dough. And what kind of knife should I use? I somehow imagine it is some type of $500.00 special extra sharp knife made only for slicing frozen shortbread dough. In order to keep the shape and slice the dough I had to knead it several times to warm up and soften the butter which means this is no longer really a shortbread!!! In Martha's defense, she does give you the option of molding this dough into a square. If you decide to try this recipe, do the square, they will end up that way anyway. Better yet, press the dough into a tart pan, score wedges and poke holes with a fork. This will conclude the ranting portion of today's post.
 Today's cookie is actually a hybrid. The shortbread recipe above and a Spice Cookie I have been wanting to try. I took Martha's shortbread recipe and added 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp ground cloves. Then I added 1/2 c chopped walnuts and 1/2 chopped raisins. Not just any raisins though, Fresh and Easy's Jumbo Mixed Raisins. A mixture of golden raisins, regular and cinnamon raisins. YUM!

They didn't turn out too bad. Not really sweet and the spices are nice. They would go great with coffee as they are a little, make that alot, dry. If you decide to try this recipe, please let me know how it works out for you.
  

Day 6: Russian Teacakes

   I have always loved to make cookies. When I was little I used every ingredient in the house to make some of the worst cookies (I'm not sure you could even call them that) ever tasted. As I got a little older I started to understand why you needed to follow recipes when baking. We never had a lot of food in the house so I would search my moms cookbooks for anything I could make with what we had. That's when the Russian Teacake came into my life. I found it in one of my Great Grandma's old cookbooks and make them over and over until the page fell out of the book. As an adult I searched to find the recipe again and finally found it a few years ago, only now I bake them about once a year instead of once a week. So simple, so good. They are often mistaken for Mexican Wedding Cakes but they taste and are made differently.

I like to coat them in powdered sugar while they are still warm, it makes almost a frosting around the cookie.