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Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
Get a head start on holiday bakingHave you ever noticed how many holiday sweets the Italians make that keep for months and still taste fine and dandy when you finally bring them out for guests? Amazing! High on my list of Italian favorites is biscotti. One of the reasons being that they are very easy to package and mail to anywhere on the planet. The drier and harder they become the more concentrated the flavor and better the taste. If they become tooth chippin' hard just do as the Italians do and dunk them in a mug of coffee, a glass of milk or a glass of wine. They make a perfect gift to mail to friends or family in Iraq, Afghanistan, or anywhere else. Even college kids love biscotti. Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti Biscotti is not known for its beauty, but the red and green colors in this recipe spell Christmas. They keep about 2 weeks in an airtight container, longer in a refrigerator and forever in a freezer. Makes about 3 dozen. 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
Cover cranberries with hot water to cover and leave in a small bowl until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain well and then pat dry. Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour (always do so when flouring a greased pan). Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Add 3 of the eggs and vanilla and beat just until a dough forms. Add cranberries and pistachios then combine at low speed. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead several times. Halve dough, then form each half into a 13- by 2-inch slightly flattened log on baking sheet, using floured hands and spacing logs about 3-inches apart. Beat together the remaining egg and water. Brush the logs with this eggwash. Bake in middle of oven until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet on a rack for 10 minutes. Transfer logs to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices with a serrated knife. Arrange slices, a cut side down on baking sheet(s). Bake in middle of oven, turning once, until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes total baking time. Taggerty's Favorite Double-Chocolate Walnut Biscotti This is my daughter-in-laws favorite biscotti recipe and as she loves to bake above all other sports in this world, it has got to be good. Makes 32 cookies. 2 cups all-purpose flour
Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour (always a good plan). Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Beat together butter and granulated sugar in a larger bowl. Add eggs and beat until well combined. Stir in flour mixture; dough will be stiff. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. Divide dough in half. With floured hands shape dough into 2 slightly flattened 12- by 2-inch logs on baking sheet. Leave about 3-inches between logs. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Bake logs until slightly firm to the touch, about 35 minutes. Cool still on baking sheet on a rack for 5 minutes (leaving the oven on with door closed). Transfer logs to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch thick slices. Arrange biscotti cut sides down on baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 20 minutes. (You can turn them over after about 10 minutes.) Transfer to racks to cool. Tuscan Biscotti Crisp and not too sweet. If you don't have anise extract, nor anise itself in your collection of spices, you can substitute anything that has a hint of licorice like fennel seeds, Ouzo or Pernod. Or change the flavor to orange and use Triple-Sec or Grand Marnier or Cointreau. If using a liqueur use at least a tablespoon. 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. On high speed cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the whole eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the honey. Add the flavorings and mix well. Gradually beat in dry ingredients. Stir in almonds, until evenly dispersed. Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Form dough into a ball and flatten it slightly. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper, and set aside. Remove dough from plastic wrap and divide in half. On a lightly floured work surface, roll half of the dough into a log about 2- by 13-inches, and transfer it to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with other half of dough. Bake until firm and golden about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 250 F. Transfer cooled logs to cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice each log on the bias into 1/2-inch slices. Place on baking sheets, cut side down. Bake until dry and lightly browned, about 10 minutes on each side. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before storing. Cookies for breakfast? Only pie could be better.
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