It had never really crossed my mind to try to bake biscotti before, but I came across the following recipe over the holidays and decided to give it a whirl. This calls for only baking once, instead of twice as is tradition, so I thought it would be a good way to ease into the world of baking biscotti.
Ingredients
– 1 1/2 c. sugar – 12 eggs – 1/2 tsp salt – 4 1/2 c. flour – 1 tsp baking powder – 2 c. dried tart cherries – 2 c. pistachios – 1 Tbsp water
Directions
Separate 8 eggs, keeping the yolks (I saved the whites for a frittata later in the weekend). In a stand-up mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the 8 egg yolks, 3 whole eggs, the sugar and salt for about 5 minutes. The mixture will be thick and a pale yellow. Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment, and mix in the flour and baking powder until well-combined. I did this in 2-3 rounds.
Chop the dried tart cherries and shelled pistachios (I found both at Whole Foods, and any store with a bulk section should have these ingredients available). Though you can use them whole, as originally suggested in the recipe, I roughly chopped them, as I believe the final biscotti slices are easier to eat with smaller mix-ins.
Mix in the cherries and pistachios until just combined. The dough will be very sticky – I found it difficult to scrape the sides of the bowl, and had the spatula top pulled from the handle a few times during the process.
Separate the dough into two equal portions onto plastic wrap – I did so with my hands given the stickiness – and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Shape the dough into 12″x5″ logs and place on parchment paper. I was able to fit both onto one cookie sheet, and did most of the stretching mid-air, as the dough remains quite sticky!
Combine 1 whole egg and 1 Tbsp of water, and brush the mixture onto each rectangle before baking.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cutting board to cut 1/2″ slices. Completely cool before serving or eating, about an hour.
While the end results were quite tasty, I am not sure the process of making and baking biscotti is a good fit for me. Ever made biscotti before? Have any tips, particularly for how to deal with the very very sticky dough? I am open to any suggestions you may have!
Until next time,
SugarSource
I stumbled upon this coconut marshmallow recipe over a year ago, and finally decided to make it this year. If you have ever thought about trying your hand at homemade marshmallows, give these a whirl! They are a fantastic accompaniment to a cup of hot cocoa, provide a twist on the traditional s’more and are delicious on their own.
In a small saucepan, mix the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water, cooking on medium. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase to high and cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. It will be boiling – that is to be expected – but watch for any bubbling that could spill over the edges. If this happens, pick up the pot and set it back on the burner once the bubbling as subsided.
In a 13″ x 9″ glass pan (I used Pyrex), heavily dust the bottom with powdered sugar and then sprinkle roughly half the toasted coconut on top. Pour the marshmallow mixture next, and use a spatula to smooth out the surface. It will be sticky! Sprinkle the remaining coconut and allow to dry overnight – at least 12 hours.
Holiday baking is in full swing! One of my favorite Christmas memories is sinking my teeth into one of my Grandma Ruth’s sugar cookies. I finally decided to take a stab at the treats, and was pleasantly surprised to discover how simple they were to make, outside of the seven-minute frosting. I have a feeling they will become a part of my annual holiday rotation in her honor, though this recipe can be used for any time of year with the appropriate cookie cutter!
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off 1/4 of the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to roughly 1/4″ thickness. Use any cookie cutter you wish, placing on ungreased cookie sheets.
My mother and her friends have a cookie party tradition that dates back over thirty years! One of my favorites were the “Christmas Mountain Cookies” a family friend always brought, and one year she finally relented and showed me how to make them. Though they are a bit tedious when it comes to preparation, they are beloved in our home. The good news is that they are worth the effort, and I firmly believe your friends and family will agree!
Once the sheets are full, make a small indentation in the center of each cookie, filling with a small amount of raspberry spread. You do not want to use a raspberry jelly, as it will most likely run, and want to be careful near the edges.
On a windy cold day in February, I am embarked on my second 
First, we combined sugar and water in a saucepan, heating until 245 degrees. As the mixture was warming, we beat egg whites together until the frothiness disappeared. At peak temperature, we added the sugar into the egg whites, beating at a high speed until stiff shiny peaks appeared and the bowl itself started to cool. The mixture should look uniform – when the sugar is first introduced, the edges will still look foamy. This is called Italian meringue, and is the only type of meringue you can use for the batter.
Pipe the dough onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Each participant had a grid of small circles underneath the parchment to help guide us toward evenly sized and spaced shells. We started in the middle of each circle, flipping the bag completely straight downward and squeezing slowly 1/4″ away from the parchment paper. This allowed the circle to fill evenly without creating peaks. After completing a row (or two), we picked up our trays and banged on the bottom. This got rid of air bubbles and also helped to flatten the cookies for a shiny smooth texture. Once the sheet was full, our instructor placed them in a warm area to dry for 20-24 minutes.
Each began by boiling cream until it just started to froth, then immediately adding it to a combination of chocolate, flavoring and, in the case of the chocolate ganache, butter. Once combined, we whipped with a whisk until it completely smooth. We were also treated to macaron samples as we waited. The espresso was rich and intense, the green tea matcha was earthy and captured the essence of the flavor, and the raspberry was sharp and full-bodied.
We then matched up each kind by size – mine were nowhere near uniform, and you want similar-sized macarons for each sandwich. Typically it is better to wait 24-36 hours before filling the shells. However, if you can’t wait – like in a 2.5 hour class – you can spray the shells with water (very lightly) before filling. We piped the ganache in a similar fashion to the shells, leaving a slight border. After completing a row, I placed each corresponding shell on top and lightly twisted the two together.
To quickly cool, we pop these into the freezer. They are ready for guests to enjoy within the hour, and last for 1-2 weeks (though we have found they are long-gone before then).
In preparation for baking 
In honor of Mardi Gras, I attempted to bake a traditional King Cake. I modified a recipe from Nola.com, which seemed to be an appropriate source for such an endeavor.
Once the dough has chilled for two hours, punch the surface down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. First shape the dough directly with your hands – you are looking to achieve a rough rectangle. Then, using a floured rolling pin, slowly roll the dough to a rough 24″ by 12″ size. Continue to run your fingers or a spatula underneath the dough to ensure it isn’t sticking to the surface.
After the cake has had the chance to cool completely – I left for a few hours with the clean dish towel draped over the top – mix 2 cups of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk (again, I used the KitchenAid stand mixer for expediency). Slowly and cautiously add additional liquid as needed – you do not want it to be too liquidy. Drizzle the icing over the cake. My first icing unfortunately had too much milk, so I used it more as a glaze with my pastry brush. You can either dye the icing in the traditional yellow, green and purple of Mardi Gras, or coat the icing in colored sugars. I chose the sugars, which I like both aesthetically as well as texturally, and 
After initially taking 
I finally took the plunge, and signed up for a croissant class at 
SugarSource 