Fashionable Fixings...Day 3

This one will touch the heart of all you foodies out there who are on a constant hunt for new recipes and things of the such.  My other aunt is the cook of all cooks!  She is a lady in fashion of life who know how to be creative in the kitchen, cook for parties of dozens and make us all happy with her dashes of spice!

She was quite generous this season when for Christmas she shared with us all two of her most famous homemade treats.  Everyone in our family received in cute holiday packages her biscotti and croutons made from scratch!

Also, she was kind enough to disclose the recipes for my blog readers!

Chocolate Biscotti

1 cup whole blanched almonds 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup cocoa

4 Tablespoon butter 2 tsp. baking pdr. 1 tsp. Vanilla 1 ½ tsp almond extract

½ tsp. Baking soda ½ tsp salt 2 eggs flour

Some egg white lightly beaten

Toast the almonds in skillet  [sometimes I use raw macadamia nuts and do not use almond extract but increase the vanilla]

Mix the sugar, cocoa [I use unsweetened Ghiradeli] butter, eggs salt, extracts, and soda.

Stir in 1 cup of flour and the almonds.  Then add about another ½ cup of flour.  [This is pretty sticky dough]

Flour your hands and shape into 2 loaves about 8 inches by 2 inches.  I put these on parchment and brush them with a slightly beaten egg white.  Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes at 350 ^o.

Remove them and cool for 10 minutes.  Turn oven down to 300^o.  Cut with a serrated knife and place them on their sides and bake again at 300 ^o for about 10 minutes.  Let them dry out more if needed

Basic Almond Biscotti

2 to 4 T butter [I use 2] about 2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs 1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp almond extract 3/4 cup sliced almonds

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Oven at 350 degrees

Beat the butter, sugar, eggs and extract until creamy

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and almonds.  Add the

egg mixture to the flour mixture, mixing until a dough is formed.  [It is a dry dough]

Divide the dough in half.  With floured hands, form each piece into a flattish

log about 10 inches long and 2 inches wide.  Brush each log with egg

white. Place on a 10 inch by 15 inch cookie sheet.  [I put them on parchment]

Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let

cool for 5 minutes

Reduce oven to 300 degrees. On a cutting board, cut logs diagonally into 3/4

inch wide slices.  Arrange cut-side down on the cookie sheet and bake 10

minutes.

I use a sour dough bread, my favorite is day old St. Paul sourdough from Café Latte, but is rarely available unless you buy it fresh these days.  TJ’s has a San Francisco type that is sliced and I use that too, it’s inexpensive.  I simply butter one side and sprinkle with garlic powder and canned parmesan cheese, turn it over and do the same to the other site.  Cut in cubes and toast in the oven at 350 turning once in awhile until they are done. Store in frig. Because of butter and cheese.