Tag: Recipes

Posted on

macademia nut biscotti heaven

macadamia nut biscotti

One of the greatest go-alongs with the best coffee is ‘Biscotti.’ Biscotti is a dry flavored cookie that was made to be dipped into coffee unleashing all of the previously hidden flavors! The challenge is finding a worthy recipe. The problem is that most of the Biscotti Recipes were fairly bland and not comparable with good commercial products. I decided to look into why there is difference.

First of all, the best commercial recipes include: butter, baking soda and baking powder. I suspect a little extra cornstarch is also added ( as you know cornstarch is already an ingredient in baking powder). In most of ‘home’  biscotti recipes, the batter is far too sticky to be manageable even on greased wax paper and this calls for a bit more flour and sugar for control. Lastly, diced macadamia nuts, nut flavorings ( I choose almond) and a good helping of vanilla makes it perfect!

So, at only 115 calories… this Biscotti works for my diet!  Now, if you choose to dip it into white chocolate… that adds a little. Here’s the nutritional data:

nutritional facts

Basic ingredients:

3 cups bread flour

1/2 cup potato flour

2  cups powdered sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cups macadamia nuts whole and pieces ( then chop)

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon almond extract*

1 tablespoon vanilla extract*

* or replace with 2 scraped Vanilla Beans

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Process

1) use two bowls:

Bowl A — all dry ingredients and diced nuts

Bowl B — all wet ingredients, including parified butter plus powdered sugar

2) Add the dry ingredients to the liquid slowly and stir  with a wooden spoon.

3) Place 1/2 the batter on buttered wax paper and spread out to 12 inches in length and about 1/2 inch thick and do the same with the other 1/2

4) place in preheated over 350 degrees for about 30 minutes then allow to cool

5) slice 3/4 to one inch sections… each section should provide 13 -14 pieces for a total of around 27

6) rebake for 7 -9 minutes with one cut side face down

7) flip the biscotti and toast the opposite side for another 7-9 minutes

8) OPTIONAL: dip the flat side of the biscotti into melted white chocolate an place down on wax paper to cool.

sound yummy enough?

Laura loves Biscotti!

NOTE: a fun change in spices is to use 1/4 teaspoon of my egg nog spice mix

Roger

Posted on

huntin’ for the WILD Biscotti

hunting for the wild biscotti

Anyone who loves coffee knows that it is very important to find something delicious to dip into it! I have to confess to a life-long love of Biscotti… and, unfortunately, Biscotti loves me a bit too much! In the past, I viewed boxes of Biscotti as single servings — but at 100 calories a piece — it was not great for my waistline . However, being careful, one biscotti makes for a great addition to coffee a couple of times a day ( 10am and 3pm for me) and helps keep my diet on track!

However, if you are looking for a great recipe on-line be a bit careful. Some of the recipes are good but I think they try too hard to be low-fat, low sugar, and end up low taste. What is impressive is the variety of biscotti flavors … and they are mind boggling: almond, chocolate, hazelnut, ginger bread, pumpkin, cranberry and pistachio ( I think not!), Peanut butter, Oats and more combinations than you can imagine.

My goal is a simple one: to see how much Peters Chocolate I can use and keep the recipe colorically reasonable , yet delicious, for me.

Stay Tuned.

Roger

Coffaro’s makes a great qualitycommercial product.

Posted on

tiramisu for you and me on valentine’s day or earlier

Tiramisu is a nice, delicious and easy to make dessert that comes across very nicely on Valentine’s Day. Besides the eggs, cheese, sugar, chocolates and liquors… the other major ingredient is ladyfingers. You can buy ladyfingers almost anywhere, or you can make them yourself… or substitute a wide variety of prepared products… such as Pepperidge Farm’s Milano cookies.

Like many wonders of nature, some times things that look so imposing are actually quite simple.

Laura enjoys her Tiramisu! oh yeah, I had a couple of spoonfulls as well!
Laura enjoys her Tiramisu... yes, I had a few spoonfulls myself! 😉

Here’s how I made it!

Roger

Posted on

making and baking ladyfingers

home made ladyfingers or Savoiardi
home made Ladyfingers or Savoiardi are delicious!

Do you know what I love about many professional recipe makers, chefs and test kitchen cooks? In truth, I have a great deal of respect for many… but few tell their ‘secrets.’ My grandmother was far more blunt, she would often say,” when it comes to disclosing our recipes, we all lie!” Anyone who has tried to make a good meringue by following a cookbook recipe knows exactly what we mean!

When so many recipes try to discourage you from making your own ladyfingers, I should have known that something foul was afoot!

Obviously, I had to play around with all the of the self described ‘classic’ recipes to find something that would be acceptable. In addition, I planned to use these in my own Tiramisu so I wanted something nicer than store bought. The basic physical techniques for making ladyfingers are all very similar regardless of the recipe; however, it is the proportions and the fact that the recipes are incomplete that is so interesting.

Here’s how I made them!

Tomorrow we’ll discuss Tiramisu.

Bon appetite

Roger

Posted on

make her tiramisu for valentine’s day

tiramisu inspired by the film 'no reservations'

I think it is part public service and part a reflection of economic reality that we have movies encourage cooking and baking. Not only can you save money, but when one learns to cook, one can make something nicer and more nutritious than what can often be purchased. In the film “No Reservations”, one of the many featured items was a more recent culinary creation called ‘Tiramisu.” Tiramisu is an Italian dessert whose origination is debated. I do remember various layered ‘lady finger’ desserts from childhood and all were marvelous! However, “Tiramisu” has been around no earlier than the late 1960’s.

Italian Lady fingers are called ‘Savoriardi’ and although chefs try to discourage you from making them… they are very easy to make using a pastry tube! Tiramisu is best made this way.

In any event, if you (Men) would like something easy to make — but doesn’t seem so — for that special person in your life and you really don’t know much about cooking… allow me to suggest  the wonderful Italian dessert Tiramisu!

Although this isn’t the way I make it… here is a nice recipe for a Kaluha version of Tiramisu!

You can buy her candy and flowers… but nothing says love like a home made dessert.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Roger

UPDATE: thanks to a helpful chef … here’s the recipes that appeared in the movie “No Reservations”