Category Archives: 10 .Deserts

May17

Clafouti Aux Baie for May 30th Weekly Sun Edition

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clafouti aux baiesClafouti aux Baie (berries in French)

I bet that you thought that Memorial Day was over.  Well, it’s not.  Today is the real deal.  In order to make a 3 day holiday of it, this holiday was changed to the last Monday of May.  So, I am still thinking red, white and blue.  France also is a red, white and blue nation, so I thought that a French dish could be appropriate for today.  The clafouti is an excellent and easy dish to make.  It actually looks elegant when dusted with a bit of powdered sugar.  I’m not sure that elegance was in mind when the clafouti was originated. It started out as an ancient rustic peasant French pudding made in late spring and featuring typically stone fruits. It was served for desert, but it can also work as a nice breakfast dish. You can make it with various fruits and with many slightly different ingredients.  I serve mine warm with French vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

Ingredients:

4 egg whites, lightly beaten

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 C. granulated sugar

3 Tblsp. honey

2 Tblsp. Kirch (cherry liqueur but you can also use orange liqueur or juice)

1 Tsp. vanilla

Dash of salt

1 ½ C. whole milk yogurt

1 C. Flour

3 Cups mixed berries—or if you wish, of just one kind of berries

2 tsp. sifted confectioner’s sugar

For garnish, save some berries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 F

  1. In a large bowl beat together the egg whites, eggs, sugar, honey, Kirsch, vanilla and salt with an electric beater.
  2. Stir in the yogurt till smooth
  3. Add flour and beat until combined and smooth
  4. Arrange the berries on the bottom of a buttered or non-stick sprayed 10-inch ceramic quiche dish.  Pour the batter over the berries.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center seems set when shaken slightly.
  6. Cool for 30 minutes.

To Serve:

Serve the clafouti warm.  Just before serving sprinkle with the sifted confectioner’s sugar and garnish with the left over saved berries.

Are you a frustrated, overworked or timid cook? Call Margot for help @ 721-3551

& please feel free to email her @ TempInnKeeper@mindspring.com or to visit her blog for more recipes including these: http://blog.TempInnKeeper.com

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

May12

Triple Berry Bread Pudding and other sweet pudding variations

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In 1946, right after WWII, I was visiting in England and bread was one of the few main staples that the English still had to eat. They actually had had too much of it and were sick of it. Memories can be long, so, usually my English bed and breakfast guests didn’t like this dish—but I do. People usually think of bread pudding as something not being very gourmet when actually it can be extremely gourmet and delectable.  Bread pudding began as a humble dessert because the main ingredient was “left over stale bread”; however, the variations can be so numerous that it can become very decadent indeed. Additionally, bread pudding depending on its ingredients, can be served for any meal of the day.  Regardless of which bread you decide to use, white French, croissant, Challa, Brioche, English muffin, usually, the staler the bread, the final product will be more tasteful.  As to the custard base, half and half probably offers the perfect balance to texture. Heating the half-and-half before mixing it into the eggs and sugar will assure you of a final base that is perfectly combined.  Be sure to whisk it slowly into the eggs so as to not “scramble” the eggs.  Finally, soaking the bread pudding the day before baking makes it better and the easier for an innkeeper.  So, here are a few of the sweet type combos you can think about: chocolate/banana; pumpkin; gingerbread; rum/raisin; lemon-coconut;apricot-almond;berry;mocha; and double ginger.

The following recipe will serve 12.

Triple-Berry Bread Pudding

 

You will need the following:

9 X 13 inch baking dish

2-3 qt. saucepan

whisk

 

Make the custard:

Ingredients:

7 large egg yolks

3 large eggs

1 C. granulated sugar

6 C. half and half

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

Bread:

10 C. 1 inch day old brioche bread cubes

Berries:

3 ½ C. fresh or frozen berries such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. If frozen, defrost before adding the pudding and drain most of the liquid.  It’s best with the fresh berries.

Instructions:

Whisk the yolks and eggs and vanilla.  Slowly whisk in the sugar and salt until totally blended.  Slightly heat the half and half and slowly whisk into the egg mixture.

Place the bread cubes in a 9 X 13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and pour the custard on top making sure that the bread is submerged.  Let cool at room temp about an hour; cover with plastic wrap; and refrigerate for at least 5 hours and up to 24 hours. .

Preheat oven to 325.

Before baking, gently fold in the berries. Cover the pudding loosely with foil and bake at 325 for 70 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until no liquid custard is visible when you poke a small hole in the center with a paring knife, 20 to 40 minutes more depending on the custard or add-ins. So total baking time can be 90 to 110 minutes.

Let the pudding cool on a rack.  Serve warm at room temp with a dollop of whipped cream or a good yogurt.

I serve this with a side of the thick kind of Canadian bacon slices that I have sautéed in a frying pan with fresh rosemary.  I also serve more berries in a bowl.

Below are some optional add on options for the custard:

1 ½ tsp. almond;

2 C. chopped bittersweet chocolate to the hot ½ and ½ till chocolate is melted;

2 tsp. instant espresso to hot ½ and ½;

½ C. chopped fresh ginger in ½ & ½ —let steep in half and half for 10 minutes before adding to yolks;

fine grated zest of 3 lemons to ½ and ½ and whisk juice from the lemons (about ½ C.) into the custard;

whisk 1 ¼ C. pure canned pumpkin, tsp. ground Cinnamon; and ¼ tsp nutmeg into custard;

increase sugar to ¼ C. and add 1/3 C. dark rum to custard.

Optional Add-ins:

Choose one or two

3 ripe thinly sliced bananas

1 ½ C. toasted shredded coconut

3 ½ C. fresh or frozen mixed berries

1 ½ C. toasted coarsely chopped pecans

1 C. chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

1 C. dried apricots, soaked in very hot water for 30 minutes and drained thoroughly

1 C. golden rains, soaked is above for apricots

½ C. chopped crystallized ginger

Apr21

Grapefruit Zabaglione Over Mixed Berries

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grapefruit zabahglione (2)Grapefruit Zabaglione Over Mixed Berries

Serves 6

 This coming Saturday is Armed Forces Day. It is a day set aside to pay tribute to the men and women who serve with the United States’ armed forces.  Louis Johnson, who was the Secretary of Defense in 1949, announced the creation of this day to replace separate Armed Forces days and so the first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on May 20, 1950. I’m always in favor of celebrating our brave forces, so with that in mind, I think that a nice little red, white, and blue desert is in order and this one is just that:

Ingredients:

3 C. Mixed Berries (such as quartered strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)

4 Egg Yolks

1/3 C. Sugar

1/4 C. Fresh Grapefruit Juice (I used the red kind)

Pink Kosher Salt

Grated Grapefruit Zest

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, toss the berries together.  Spoon the berries into serving dishes or glasses.
  2. Combine the egg yolks with the sugar, grapefruit juice, and salt in the top part of a double boiler or in a glass or metal dish that will act like the top of a double boiler. Beat the ingredients with a wire whisk until the mixture is a pale yellow.
  3. If you don’t have a double boiler, find a lower pan that is large enough to accommodate your upper bowl without the bottom of the upper bowl being able to touch the bottom of the lower pan. Place a little water in your bottom pan being careful that the top bowl or double boiler top DOES NOT touch the water.  SIMMER the water in the lower pan, being careful that it does not evaporate, and keep whisking the egg yolk mixture continually for about 4 to 5 minutes—or until the mixture has become creamy, thick, and about triple volume.
  4. Spoon the mixture over the berries and top with a sprinkling of the zest and a dab of Greek Yogurt.
  5. Serve immediately and voila, a lovely red, white, and blue delicious desert.

This is a dish that my mother made very often and it was definitely a favorite of mine. There are various varieties of it as follows: for the traditional Italian dish for desert instead of grapefruit juice, Madeira, Marsala or sherry is used.  For a more delicate flavor with a fluffier appearance, you can beat the egg whites until stiff and combine them after you have made your yolk sauce.  For the German version, you can place in a double boiler top 2 Cups of white wine, 1/2 cup of water, 4 unbeaten eggs, 1/2 cup sugar and continue as in the directions above.  It’s also a nice sauce to serve over or with pound cake.  Actually it’s such an easy and delightful desert to create and enjoy that one can now find different variations of it in many foreign countries. 

 Are you a frustrated, overworked or timid cook? Call Margot for help @ 721-3551

& please feel free to email her @ TempInnKeeper@mindspring.com or to visit her blog for more recipes including these: http://blog.TempInnKeeper.com

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

 

Apr21

The Almighty Little Crepe

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crepe (1) crepe (3)

The Tuesday Ketchum, ID Farmers Market

The Almighty Little Crepe

The other night, after dinner, I was still hungry for an easy something yummy and what came to my mind was that so seldom made now-a-day crepe.  Not so long ago, you’d see a creperie at almost every corner, but now it’s found mostly at the outdoor craft and art fairs (or at the Lodge & special restaurants).  It’s such an easy and quick as a wink dish to make as well as being very versatile. It can be sweet or savory and it can be easy on the belly depending on what ingredients you use.  So, here’s a basic recipe that I use and a lot of variable ideas to make it just what you wish.  It’s good for any meal as a first or main course or a desert. With the summer fresh fruits so beautifully featured at the now open Farmers Markets, you can’t beat pairing them with the crepe—and voila you have a fancy desert with barely any fuss or muss.   And don’t forget, most kids love it and can take a hand at cooking it themselves.

You Will Need for 14 to 16 Crepes

One 5 or 6 “skillet preferably non-stick (I saw one at the Goldmine for several $)

3/4 C. All Purpose Flour

1/2  Tsp Salt

1 Tsp. Baking Powder

(2 Tsp. Powdered Sugar if making sweet crepes)

2 Eggs

2/3 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup Water

(1/2 Tsp. Vanilla or Grated Lemon Rind if making sweet crepes)

Directions:

Sift the dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Beat the egg, milk, and water in a separate container with a wire whisk.  Add the liquid to the dry ingredients with a couple of swift strokes of the whisk. Don’t beat too much. It’s OK to leave some little lumps in the batter.

Heat the skillet to the point where when you splatter a couple of water drops in it, the drops will scatter about before disappearing.  Reduce the heat just a bit and then either place a little butter, spray oil, or nothing if you prefer and the pan is non-stick, and place about 2 Tblsp. of batter in the skillet.  Tip the skillet all around quickly to get all of the liquid to the outer edges and let cook till bubbles rise and the top seems fairly dry—about one minute or less.  Then reverse the crepe to lightly brown the other side—about 15 or 20 seconds. You don’t want the crepes to get too brown or crispy. At this point, I do what my Mother used to do—I have a double boiler with a little boiling water in the bottom part, the top already warm, and I place the crepes in the top.  They stay very moist that way.  However, you can also keep them warm in a warmed oven.  Fill and roll your crepe with your preferred filling and topping and bon appetite.  If you have left over batter, you can store it in the frig. and use it on the morrow, however, I prefer it on the today basis.

Some Sweet Crepes Filling Suggestions:

1.       Chopped apples & currents that have been browned slightly in a bit of butter and honey and when carmelized (about 3 minutes or so) a bit of rum thrown on.  You can use any kind of fruit to do this-pears, bananas, berries, etc. You can also add some chopped nuts to this mixture or cinnamon. For a topping a little grated lemon rind is perfect.

2.       Yogurt, sour crème, or crème cheese mixed with some sugar to sweeten with a brushing of sugar and cinnamon on top; or whipped cream, even ice cream and melted chocolate to top.

3.       Jelly, jam, marmalade, or lemon curd with a sprinkle of powder or granulated sugar for the topping. This is the way mother always served it and my father loved it.

Some Savory Crepes Filling Ideas–

When using cheese as a toping you can place the crepes on an oven proof dish and place in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

1.       Cooked, drained, or sautéed chopped (except for the like of asparagus spears which fit in the crepe so nicely) veggies with a light white or béchamel sauce or various kinds of cheese slightly melted in the oven as a topping. Mushrooms are really good for a filling.

2.       Meat (stewed), chicken, fish with a sauce topping.

3.       Cooked beans with a cheese toping.

4.       Ricotta cheese inside and an Italian tomato sauce on the exterior and baked a bit in the oven.

Are you a frustrated, overworked or timid cook? Call Margot for help @ 721-3551

& please feel free to email her @ TempInnKeeper@mindspring.com or to visit her blog for more recipes including these: http://blog.TempInnKeeper.com

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

 

 

Apr20

Chocolate-Peanut Frozen Cookies

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Mom’s this is for the Dads and Kids-No Peeking!! But cut out and give to Dads

 Chocolate-Peanut Frozen Cookies

(Dad’s, this is easy enough for you and the kids to make for Mom. All you need extra to buy or make is a pretty gift bag and card and of course make sure that you have all of the necessary ingredients. Be sure to tell Mom and leave a note for her on the freezer door that the freezer is “off base” for several hours when they are “ cooking” there.)

Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday so here is an easy special little something to make for her.  It’s so effortless to make and can be very low in calories as well, so I know that she’ll love it. Most of my life I was well within my weight limit and had no problem at all.  Gradually though, as I grew more mature (I hate the word “older”), I and my friends couldn’t believe what had happened to my figure.  Finally I hit a clothing size that shocked me so much, I knew I had to do something fast!  For me, it was Weight Watchers on-line.  It was easy and healthy, it worked, and within a year I was where I wanted to be. I lost 38 lbs. and that was 10 years ago. I still loosely abide by their point and food system.  Additionally, I love their recipes and here is one which I adjusted for those who don’t mind calories, but can also be easy on the belly at only 1 point each.  They are very, very good—at least I think so—and once again, so easy to make. Below in parenthesis is the Weight Watcher’s version.  By the way, Mother’s Day celebrations can supposedly be traced back to very ancient festivals like in Greece the cult to Cybele, in Rome the festival of Hilaria, or to the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration. So, here’s a cheer to continuing that tradition.

Chocolate-Peanut Frozen Cookies

Ingredients

¼ Cup Whole Milk (or fat-free skim milk)

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder–I use the best (or unsweetened cocoa powder)

2 Tbsp. sugar (no adjustment on the WW recipe)

¼ Cup Chunky Peanut Butter (WW called for the regular kind)

1 Cup Uncooked Old Fashioned Oats

2 Tsp. Butter (or 2 Tsp Canola Oil)

Instructions

You can do all of the mixing in the saucepan

  1. Mix milk, cocoa powder, sugar and butter or oil in a medium saucepan over low heat.
  2. Bring to a slow boil; then remove from heat.  Add peanut butter and stir into mix until melted.
  3. Stir in oatmeal and mix well. (I use a wooden spoon to do all of this.)
  4. Drop 16 or more spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. (I use my measuring tablespoon and a knife to do this. Then I actually pat them together with my CLEAN hands.)
  5.  Freeze for at least four hours; they are better the day after you make them. Then you can put them in a sealed baggie and keep in the frig.
  6. DON’t snitch until Mom gets them.

(You can also make this recipe with granola instead of oats. I buy different varieties of granola from local market bins.)

Are you a frustrated, overworked or timid cook? Call Margot for help @ 721-3551

& please feel free to email her @ margot6@mindspring.com for comments or ideas

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

 

Apr19

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

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XXXchocolate strawberriesValentines always seems to be a bit of a romantic event and there’s nothing like a chocolate-dipped strawberry to satisfy the romance in a person.  Elaine Sherman wrote “Chocolate is heavenly, mellow, sensual, deep, dark, sumptuous, gratifying, potent, dense, creamy, seductive, suggestive, rich, excessive, silky, smooth, luxurious, celestial. Chocolate is downfall, happiness, pleasure, love, ecstasy, fantasy … chocolate makes us wicked, guilty, sinful, healthy, chic, happy.”  Even the scientific name for the tree from which chocolate is derived, Theobroma cacao, translated from Greek, means “food of the gods”.  Well, I couldn’t have said it better—and so I won’t.

Additionally, have you noticed that the strawberries in our markets are plentiful and beautifully sweet? You could swear that each has been injected with a bit of sugar. So, for your sheer sinfulness, here is an easy and fun recipe to make, enjoy, and share.
 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

2 pounds strawberries with leaves (rinsed and left to dry on a paper towel)

16 ounces chocolate chips (I use the semi-sweet chips)

2 tablespoons shortening or vegetable oil (which will cause chocolate to soften more at room temp)

1 package toothpicks

Insert toothpicks into the top of the strawberries.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring until smooth.  Dip the strawberries into the mixture and then let them cool on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate until ready to serve (will take about 30 minutes to harden).

Note: if you want to get a bit fancy, melt ¼ cup of white chocolate chips and drizzle in circular patterns around the cooled dark chocolate berries.

(P.S. I love Ina Garten. For her chocolate dipped strawberries she uses ½ C. semisweet choc. chips and 3 Tbls. heavy cream melted in a double boiler, and then dips the strawberries, etc. This is a nice variation on the more traditional chocolate-dipped strawberry.)

Bon Appetit

Margot Van Horn

Apr19

Mayflower Pumpkin Cookies & Raisin or Currant Sauce

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Pumpkin Cookies straight from the Mayflower

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

 This recipe supposedly came over with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower.  Supposedly, they lasted so well because of the rum in them.

 ½ C. unsalted butter at room temp or slightly softened in micro

1 C. brown sugar

2 eggs (not necessary to pre-beat)

1 ¼ C. pumpkin puree

2 C. flour

1 TBLSP (yes that much) baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. salt

2/3 C. currants or raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla and ½ teaspoon brandy and ½ teaspoon rum or any combination of the three to add up to 2 teaspoons full.

  1. Cream butter and sugar with electric beater.
  2. Add eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, brandy, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat more with beater.
  3. Sift the flour and baking powder into mixture and beat till well combined and smooth.
  4. Stir in the raisins or currants till evenly distributed.

Drop by spoonfuls on greased or parchment papered cookie sheet. (I love the parchment paper.)

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes (I baked at 375 for 10-12 minutes in our altitude). The bottoms should be SLIGHTLY brown. Even if they feel and look soft, take them out and let them rest on the cookie sheet for about 1 or 2 minutes.  Remove them to a rack or to laid out paper towels and let them cool.  You can freeze them. They taste great at any time, how ever, I find that they are even more flavorful the next day.

These are wonderful at anytime of the year because amazingly enough, the pumpkin is not overwhelming.  However, they definitely have a spicy taste.

 

Raisin or Currant Sauce

For a lovely desert, these cookies can be served with a very good vanilla ice cream with a bit of the following sauce to be placed on top of the ice cream.  The sauce recipe comes from my barely surviving 1953 edition of my beloved Rombauer’s Joy of Cooking cookbook. Oh my gosh, that book is almost 60 years old.  I received it as a wedding present.

Raisin or Currant Sauce

About 1 2/3 Cupfuls

Boil for 15 minutes:

1 ½ C. water

1/3 C. raisins or currants

¼ C. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

Melt:

2 Tablespoons butter

Stir into that until blended:

1 tsp. flour

Add the hot sauce slowly.  Stir and cook until it boils.

Add:

A ¼ tsp. or more of rum and a touch of ground or grated nutmeg or some grated lemon rind.

 

Apr19

Gingerbread Pudding Cake

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A Recipe……………from my table to yours

And I had but one penny in the world, thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.

— William Shakespeare, “Love’s Labor’s Lost”

 

Having good yummy smells coming from the kitchen is always a delight at any time of the year, however, during holiday times, because everyone’s senses seem keener with the anticipation of good things to arrive, this is just a perfect recipe to make. I have found that the easiest thing to do with this type of recipe is to put all of your spices out on one side of your mixing bowl and as soon as you have added it, to place the spice on the other side.  That way there won’t be any confusion.  I also use the ¼ sized measuring teaspoon for all of the spices and for the salt and soda.  So, for instance, for the 1 teaspoon of ginger, I used 4 of the ¼ teaspoons.  For me that is the simplest way, but do whatever is best for you.

 

As a side note, an early form of gingerbread can be traced to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians who used it for ceremonial purposes.  It appeared in Europe with the 11th-century crusaders who brought the spice back from the Middle East for the well to do to experiment with.  Gingerbread became so popular in Europe that there were even gingerbread fairs.

 

Gingerbread Pudding Cake (a breakfast delight!)

8 servings

Step One

1 ¼ C. flour

1 tsp. ground ginger

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground allspice

¼  tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. salt

Step Two

¼ C. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

¼ C. sugar

 

2 Tblsp. beaten egg (from 1 egg)

 

½ C. light molasses

½ C. water

 

¾  C. brown sugar

 

 

Step Three

1 ½ C. hot water

5 Tblsp. unsalted butter, melted

 

SERVE WITH

Whipped Cream or Yogurt

Pre-directions

*Preheat oven to 350.

*Butter 8 X 8 X 2 inch inch glass baking dish

Step 1

*Whisk flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and soda in medium bowl.

Step 2

*Using electric mixer, beat the ¼ C. room temp. butter and the ¼ C. sugar in a large bowl until blended.

* Beat in the 2 Tblsp. egg.

*Stir the ½ C. molasses and the ½ C. water in 1-cup glass measuring cup.

*Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions alternately with molasses mixture, beating to blend between additions.

*Transfer to prepared dish.

*Sprinkle the ¾ C. brown sugar over all.

Step 3

*Stir the 1 ½ C. hot water and 5 tblsp. melted butter in a 2-cup glass measuring cup.

*Carefully pour over top of batter (there will be lots of liquid on top of cake).

Baking directions

*Bake until gingerbread is cracked on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Serving hints

*Scoop warm pudding cake into shallow bowls.

*Serve with whipped cream or yogurt.

 

(It may be a bit tedious to make, but it’s worth it as you will see.) 

 

Bon Appetit

Margot Van Horn

http://www.inn-ovation.info

inn-ovation@earthlink.net

 

Apr19

Ginger Biscotti

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Ginger Biscotti

 

(Thanks to Mark Bittman’s “How To Cook Everything” cookbook)

There is NO COMPARISON between HOME MADE BISCOTTI & STORE BOUGHT BISCOTTI. Believe me if you haven’t already experienced this, try this recipe just once to experience the difference.

My good friend and past VSI guest, Ruth, recommended Mark’s book to me.  She said that is the only cook book that she takes with her when she sojourns for several months to Provence, France, with her husband, and wondrous Standard Poodle every year.  So, of course, I had to buy it.  I’ve well used mine however my other favorite cookbooks are: the older version of the Joy Of Cooking by Rambauer, Becker (I received mine for my wedding in 1958), The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne (1961 is my version), Ann Seranne’s Good Food With a Blender (1974) book, and Soups & Stews (Better Homes and Gardens(1993).  The latter has a great recipe for “Mexican Chicken-Tortilla Soup” among other good ones. Cookbooks are so special and tell a history of your family.  I know my Mother used the Ritz Hotel and Good Settlement cookbooks a lot.  I still have them and what a hoot.

I do like these biscotti a lot, plus they are so simple to make.  I have altered Mark’s recipe a bit to make it easier. They really don’t take any time to make, except for the baking part. Who cares when they are so yummy and when your guests will throw compliments galore your way?

Ginger Biscotti

Makes about 30

Time: about 1 ¼ hour

 

4 Tblsp. (1/2 stick) salted butter, softened

¾ C. sugar

2 eggs

½ tsp vanilla or almond extract

2 ¼ C. all-purpose flour

2 Tsp. baking powder

¼ C. minced crystallized ginger

 

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. On 2 baking sheets, place parchment paper.
  3. Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla or almond extracts.
  4. Sift the flour and baking powder in a bowl and add the ¼ C. minced crystallized ginger to the dry ingredients.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the batter a little at a time. I continued to use my beaters for this.    
  6. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 2 inch-wide-log. Place each log onto one of the parchment lined baking sheets.
  7. Bake in 375 oven until the loaves are golden and beginning to crack on the top(about 30 minutes); remove the logs from the oven
  8. Lower oven temp. to 250 degrees
  9. When the loaves feel firm enough and cool enough to handle, (in about 5 minutes) remove them to a paper towel placed on a flat surface.
  10. Cut each on the diagonal into ½ inch thick slices, using a SERATED knife.
  11. Place the slices back on the baking sheets still lined with your parchment paper.
  12. Return the slices to the oven in the 250 degree oven to dry out.  Bake them on one side for 10 minutes, turn them over, and bake them another 10 minutes.
  13. Cool on wire racks
  14. These will keep in an airtight container for several days. 

 

Other ideas the Mark suggests to use are:

  1. 1 tsp. ground fennel or anise seeds; or one tsp. ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
  2. Stir one C. slivered blanched almonds; roasted and chopped hazelnuts; whole pine nuts; or other chopped nuts in prepared dough before baking.
  3. Mix 1 Tsp. minced lemon zest or orange zest in dry ingredients
  4. Melt 8 oz. semisweet chocolate with 3 Tblsp. unsalted butter.  Spread this mixture onto one side of the biscotti when done.  Cool on rack until chocolate coating is firm.
  5. Mix about ½ C. dried fruit into dough before baking
  6. Mix about ¾ C. chocolate chips into dough before baking.   

 

As usual, Bon Appetit.