More Biscotti Gifts!!

Wow. I am such a slacker lately. I'm sorry I haven't been posting. I am still recovering from the holidays!

This was one of the biscotti gifts that I made for Christmas. I made three different kinds of biscotti and grouped two of each together in clear cellophane and aranged them in this cute little flower pot. They kind of look like flowers coming up out of the pot, don' t they? I thought they were too cute!

I made Oatmeal chocolate chip, Almond and Vanilla biscotti. Everyone loves the Oatmeal chocolate chip biscotti because they remind you of mom's chocolate chip cookies. The Almond biscotti are also very popular because they are the classic biscotti.

I love them both! I already posted the Vanilla biscotti recipe and I will post the Oatmeal chocolate chip biscotti recipe and the Almond biscotti recipe soon! So stay tuned.

Vanilla Biscotti

Every Christmas I give cookies to my friends, family, neighbors and clients. I usually decorate and package them for the season. This holiday I got a great idea from Food TV. Sandra Lee created gifts by filling clear glass mugs with cookies and hot chocolate. I loved the presentation so much that I decided to put my own spin on it.

I found the most perfect ruby red glass mugs at the Christmas Tree Shop for get this (2/$1.00). I bought all that they had left on the shelf!! Unfortunately, with all the hustle and bustle I forget to take a photo of them all done up. I really regret that because they were really cute.

I rapped 2 biscotti in clear cellophane paper and filled holiday goody bags with 3 tablespoons of Ghiardelli Hot Chocolate (enough for one cup of hot chocolate). I attached a small note with heating directions for the hot chocolate and placed it all in the mug.

Vanilla Cinnamon Biscotti
Recipe adapted from Carol's Biscotti of Scialo Bros. Bakery in Providence, RI Printed in the Providence Journal, December 2001

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla
Egg wash(egg mixed with a little water)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Combine the suar, baking powder, and butter.
2. Blend in the vanilla.
3. Mix in the eggs and add the flour one cup at a time.
4. Spoon dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet to form two logs 1 1/2 inches wide by 1 inch high.
5. Brush logs with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes turning pan half way through.
6. Remove them from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Move the logs to a cutting board and cut logs diagonally into slices 1 inch thick to produce cookies. Turn each onto its side and rebake at the same temperature for another 5 to 10 minutes depending on how crisp you like your cookies.
7. To decorate melt dark and milk chocolate in separate bowl and spread a thin layer over cool cookies. One dried, drizzle with melted white chocolate and sprinkle with colored sugar or jimmies.

I felt like these were the easiest and safest cookies to give a large number of people. I always worry about nut allergies and some people just don't like nuts, which I can't imagine, but it's true. Cinnamon and vanilla seem to be flavors that everyone likes. They seemed to be a hit, so I guess I did good!!

QUICK & EASY FRITTATA

WOW! It's been so long since I've posted. I have been extremely busy and have not had any time to type out recipes, take photos or cook anything really worth posting for that matter.

I made this fritatta one night in a flash. I used leftover mixed veggies, shredded cheddar cheese and grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

I just sauteed some chopped garlic in olive oil, added about 3/4 cup chopped veggies, added salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, fresh chopped parsely. After a few minutes I added 6 beaten eggs with one tablespoon of milk, 1/4 cup cheddar and 1/8 cup of romano.

I cooked it on the stovetop until almost set on top and then placed the oven proof skillet under the broiler for a few minutes. I set the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes and it was ready to eat.

I have been baking up a storm trying get all of my holiday goodies done. This past weekend was a Biscotti Marathon. I made 4 different types of Biscotti. I decorated and packaged them for Christmas. It was fun, but soooo much work. My back is killing me and I have'nt slept much lately. I'm sure all you bakers out there understand!

I will post the cookie recipes as soon as I get a chance. Happy Holidays to all of you!

Sooo busy!!! NoTime to Post.

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. I am just too busy at work and too tired after work. Between trying to decorate for the holidays and shopping, it is just too hectic! I just wanted to let you all know that I am alive and well!

I did make a delicious Chicken Piccata recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. I didn't take a picture of it because I thought I might have posted it in the past. But you should check it out, it's really good.