Christmas baking so far ....

emtd

Well-known member
We have a lovely fresh snowfall today and it was a perfect day to listen to music and bake.

So far - cashew brittle (I ate most of it), hazelnut expresso cookies, cranberry orange biscotti and cranberry bliss bars.

Tomorrow I would love to try Olga' hazelnut bonbons and soon the cranberry trail mix.

These biscotti have been adapted from a Martha Stewart Recipe:

Cranberry Biscotti

Makes about 2 dozen

1 c sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

2 tsps grated orange zest

1 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 c dried unsweetened cranberries

Melted white chocolate

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.

Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Beat in orange zest and vanilla. Stir flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Add cranberries to the flour. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture; mix until just incorporated.

Divide dough in half. Place each half on a prepared baking sheet. With lightly floured hands, form each into a log -- 2" wide by 3/4" high. Bake until dough logs are firm to touch, about 35 minutes. Remove logs from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Transfer logs to cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut 1/2" slices on the diagonal. Arrange pieces, cut side down, on the baking sheets. Bake until bottoms are golden - about 7 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until the second side is also golden -- about 4 or 5 minutes Transfer to baking racks to cool.

Dip half in melted white chocolate.

Place back on rack to set.

These are a softer biscotti but could presumably be adapted to the harder style with a longer baking period.

So many recipes to try on this site!!!!

Betty_________

 
Re: I was just admiring your baking! Wow! Very impressive. Espresso cookies....

Hazelnut Espresso Cookies
from Everyday Food Holiday Baking Martha Stewart

2 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 cups (about 10 ounces) hazelnuts, skins removed and coarsely chopped.

Oven 375

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

Beat butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in espresso powder.
With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture until incorporaed.
Stir in hazelnuts.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 1 1/2 inch apart - bake 12 minutes. Cool two minutes before transferring to wire rack.

 
should have mentioned that the hazelnuts are ...

baked at 275 degrees for 25 minutes then placed in a kitchen towel to rub off skins.

 
These sound really good, even better drizzled with a little dark chocolate. smileys/smile.gif

 
Re: good idea - visually they could be improved upon - and you can never go wrong with chocolate!

 
Can you tell me...what is the texture of these like? And do they spread or stay a bit rounded?

 
sure, they spread similar to a chocolate chip cookie

- they are slightly rounded (my choc. cookies go too flat for my preference). They are not an overly sweet cookie - which I like. They are good with a cup of coffee. If I were to make them for a Christmas platter I would probably make them a bit smaller next time. You definitely see the flecks of espresso which is why I said they could improve visually - but for what it's worth I would make them again. I probably wouldn't put chocolate on them - don't tell Meryl smileys/smile.gif
Betty

 
Hey, I heard that! smileys/smile.gif Why not? Do you think it would be overkill or do you think it would interfere

with the espresso taste or .....?

 
I did think it would be overkill ...

I don't think it is meant to be a particularly sweet cookie. Having said that- I really do love chocolate also.

 
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