Thursday, December 13, 2007

Thursday's Christmas Baking.

Today's Christmas goodies are Cranburry/Pistachio Biscotti
and Oatmeal Cookies.


I don't know what it is with biscotti and me, but whenever I make it, the stuff crumbles when I slice it after the first baking and I have as much crumbly mess as I do slices of biscotti. Today was no exception.


Cranberry/Pistachio Biscotti

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 TB unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
2 large aigs
1 TB grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp vanella aigstrakt
1 cup dried sweetened cranburries
3/4 cup unsalted pistachios
6 oz. white chocolate

Preheat oven to 325. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift first 3 ingredients INto medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl. Add aigs one at a time. Mix in lemon zest and vanella. Beat in flour until just blended. Stir in cranburries and pistachios.
Now, since folks are expecting cranburry-flavored cranburries, I pulled a Sandy-Loo and am using half orange-flavored cranburries and half cherry-flavored cranburries. Whoot!

Turn dough out ONto lightly floured surface.

Gather together and divide in half.


















Form INto 2 15-inch long logs, about 3 inches apart on baking sheet.
























Bake about 28 minutes, until logs are almost firm to touch but still pale. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes.
Maintain oven temperature.

Then transfer logs to cutting board.
Using a serrated knife and gentle sawing motion,
cut logs INto 1/2 inch thick slices.




And this is where my little slices get all a-crumbly.
But hey, it's OK.
The crumbles are good sprinkled on top of ice cream.

Pop slices back INto the oven and bake about 9 minutes each side.

Transfer to racks and cool.




Next, I melted the white chocolate in a double boiler over just simmering water until smooth. I coated part of each slice with the chocolate, then added the red and green sprinkles.

How festive!








Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks butter), softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 aigs
1 tsp vanella
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups oatmeal

Heat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugars.
Add aigs and vanella. Beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
Stir in oats.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls ONto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then remove to wire rack.


Wallah and Yummo!

Heh. The spel-chek feechure doesn't have a red-underline under Wallah.

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