Cookie Factory!

Have been holed up now for almost 48 hours, baking, baking and more baking! I love it. It is raining, which makes it even better (although sometimes harder for baking, in terms of rising in the oven and moisture content, this year it seems ok)

I have made:

Italian Tri Color cookies (recipe here)

Biscotti: Chocolate-Almond, Chocolate-Chocolate Chip, Lemon Sugar. Lemon-Ginger (a new variety this year, as I had some candied ginger--it is soooo good!), White-Chocolate-Pecan, and Vanilla Bean

My biscotti recipe is very simple, you can vary the flavor any way you like. Use pistachios instead of almonds...leave out the chocolate...use butterscotch chips, dried fruit, whatever. They all come out great. I use margarine because it yields a longer-lasting product which tastes fresher longer. You can use butter, but the flavor is only good for a day or two after baking.

Biscotti

1/3 cup margarine, softened

2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsps vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

1 1 /2 cups almonds

1 cup chocolate chips

Beat first 7 ingredients. Mix in then nuts and chips after the dough forms. It will be sticky. Wrap in wax paper sprayed lightly with Pam and chill for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375. Form dough into logs (this recipe should yield 2 logs). Make them long and skinny..no bigger than 3 inches across, and 1 inch thick. Bake for 20 mins on lightly greased pans. Dough should look browned around the edges. take out and cool slightly in the pan. Now slice each loaf on the diagonal, about 1 inch thick. Now lay them back down on the pan, and bake another 10 minutes, until dry-looking and slightly browned around the edges. Cook on racks and top with your choice of powdered sugar icing, melted chocolate, whatever. These keep about 1 week in an airtight container in a dry place. Great for gifting. Great for dunking in morning coffee too! Save the end pieces for yourself (I do!)

Make it a Great Day!

Ann