Almond and Fig Biscotti

My girlfriend and I always have a bake day the week before the holidays. We always try to make a few cookie recipes together. It’s a great way to spend time with family and friends during the busy season and get some baking done. Biscotti's for us are a must. We often do a holiday themed ones with cranberries, chocolate and pistachios. My husband and I not only love cookies, but we love cookies with our coffee. He loves cardamom flavored anything and I love almonds and figs hence my site name so I made a new change to our holiday favorite, almond and fig biscotti's. They were so good and super easy to make. Biscotti could sound intimidating but baking the cookies twice is just an extra step to get the cookies to the crispness they are known for. They are our favorite coffee dunking cookies.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1/2 tsp cardamom 1/2 tsp cardamom extract if you don’t have it just add a tsp of pure vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 3/4 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped 1 cup dried figs roughly chopped 6 ounces good-quality white chocolate

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. • Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone pad. Whisk the dry ingredients: flour and baking powder, and cardamom in a medium bowl to blend. In your electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, orange zest, vanilla or cardamom extract and salt until combined. Add in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the dry (flour mixture) to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the almonds and figs. The mixture will be thick and sticky.

• Tip: wet your hands In warm water to help form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the silicon lined baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool completely 30 minutes to an hour.

• Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti again until they are pale golden, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely. • Stir the white chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. you can either dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate or a gentle drizzle all over the top. You can sprinkle with more almonds to garnish. Let the chocolate set on the cookies before you store them.

• Notes: The biscotti can be stored in an airtight container up to a week or even two if they are stored well. They make a perfect gift with a bag of awesome coffee.

Pistachio and Rose Shortbread Cookies

When it comes to holiday baking I like to make recipes that come together in no time, have few ingredients, and that I can make in advance. This recipe is one of them. I used a basic shortbread cookie recipe so buttery and delicious and just doctored it up with some of my favorite flavors floral notes from the rose water, citrus zest, pistachios, and elegant rose petals. The best part about this cookie not only its elegant and simple but I can freeze this dough and slice and bake when I need it.

Ingredients

makes 2 and 1/2 dozens

2 sticks unsalted room temperature butter

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 -1tsp tsp rose water (start with half a tsp and up to 1tsp) based on your taste preference

Zest of one lemon

Zest of one orange

1 cup coarsely chopped raw pistachios

Rose petals to garnish

3 Oz white chocolate melted to drizzle the top

Directions

In a food processor, process butter, confectioners' sugar, rose water and salt until creamy. Add the flour and pulse until a dough ball forms. Stir in pistachios and lemon zest. Shape dough into two 8-inch-long logs, tightly wrap in plastic, and freeze until firm, 30 minutes (or up to 1 month). 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set and barely golden at edges, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely

In the meantime melt the white chocolate. Drizzle over the completely cooled cookies, garnish with rose petals and chopped pistachios.

***Notes: Store in an airtight container, up to a week or freeze the tightly wrapped cookie logs for a month.

#cookie #christmas #baking #holidaybaking #rosewater #pistachio #shortbreadcookies

Pear & Cranberry Crumble with olive oil and maple syrup

Holidays are the perfect excuse to bake and bake lots. And for me nothing is better than a quick dessert that you can make from simple ingredients that you most likely already have. This fruit crumble is seasonal using fresh pears and fresh cranberries. Along with pantry ingredients for the crumb topping which is my absolute favorite part. I love using olive oil in baking especially when i am working with fruits it adds an unexpected citrusy note that's so pleasant. And the maple syrup adds lots of flavor while not overly sweet allowing the natural sweetness from the fruits to shine through.

**Note: When choosing pears for baking, make sure you use firm ones but nor rock hard. Anjou or Bartlett pears make for a great option as they don't fall apart and become mush when baked.

Ingredients

• 4 firm pears diced into chunks

• 1 cup fresh cranberries

• 2 tbls 100% maple syrup (sweeten to your preference)

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

• Juice of the orange that we zested

• 3 tbls sliced almonds

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups oats

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1 cup AP flour

• 1/3 cup 100% maple syrup (adjust to your liking)

• Zest of one orange

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• ½ tsp. cinnamon powder

• Pinch of salt

• Half a cup extra version olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350

• Toss the pears, cranberries, with the maple syrup and cinnamon and the juice of the orange. Spread the mixture in a baking dish.

• In a separate bowl mix , almond flour, flour, cinnamon, orange zest, maple syrup and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Mix with a spoon to combine and resemble a crumble. Spoon the crumble mixture evenly over the pears and cranberries.

• Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top for an added crunch

• Bake the apple crisp for about 35 – 45 minutes, or until topping is golden and crisp and the pears are soft and cranberries burst open.

• Let cool slightly and serve with your favorite vanilla or cinnamon ice cream, yogurt for breakfast or whipped cream.

#fruits #holidays #holidaybaking #crumble #fruitcrumble #dessert #quickdesserts #seasonalfruits #seasonaldesserts