Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Last week as we were shopping Costco at lunchtime, we of course stopped at the sample stations for "appetizers". The children adored a little biscotti they got to taste and though I wouldn't buy it for them, I promised we could try to make it.

Here's what I came up with and we enjoyed it over coffee with Crystal and Ruth from the ship. We gobbled up the leftovers too quickly the next day. I can't wait to make it again!

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

1/2 oil

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract (or 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur)

3 1/4 cup flour*

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds

Semi-sweet or dark chocolate (about half a bag of chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease cookie sheet.

2. In a medium bowl, beat together first four ingredients until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add more flour if necessary until it is a dough that will hold its shape on the cookie pan. Fold in almonds. Form into the shape of a log the length of the cookie pan. Press down to 1 inch thickness.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove log carefully and cool on wire rack. When cool enough to handle, slice crosswise into 1/2 to 1 inch slices (you'll need to use a large sharp knife to cut through almond pieces without the cookie crumbling). Place the slices, sides down, on the baking sheet and toast in oven 6 to 10 minutes on each side. Biscotti should be toasty and crispy, not soft like other cookies.

4. Melt chocolate in a shallow bowl in microwave in 10-20 second increments, stirring each time, until completely melted. Dip biscotti in chocolate and place on cooling rack. Chill in freezer or fridge for a few minutes to harden chocolate.

*I used organic soft white wheat ground on pastry setting. I am unsure of the exact amount because I walked away from the table while Hannah was helping me count out flour cups to tend to the baby. When I returned, there was more flour in the bowl, but we are not sure how much :)

Don't you love the ample use of the word "log" in this post? And that I managed to avoid making inappropriate jokes while we were discussing food?

I made these!!!! (Also known as JulieBars)

Oh my goodness, have you ever tried a LaraBar? They are heavenly and healthy, and by healthy I don't mean loaded with lots of ingredients you can't pronounce that are supposed to be good for you, but real, simple, whole food. Take for example Peanut Butter Cookie. Ingredients: peanuts, dates, salt. HELLO! And so scrumptious, you just can't believe it.

These sweet little puppies are pretty expensive though. Deborah and I have been trying for years to hack the recipe. Here we are back in January of 05, making a batch to take with me to the ship.

I think we did Cherry Pie and Chocolate Coconut. I finished them within days of arriving at training in Germany, while everybody else was eating pasta with ketchup. (no offense, Germany - love ya!)

Recently I made a batch of Apple Pie. This is my favorite flavor - not too sweet or tangy, and nutty enough to be satisfying. You could increase the amount of dates or apples to make it sweeter or tangy-er, according to your taste.

Apple Pie "JulieBars"

2 cups dates

1 package dried apple slices

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup - 1 cup almonds

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Break out the food processor. Grind almonds to a fine meal by pulsing. Set aside.

Soak dates in warm water for a few minutes (until soft) and drain. Process in food processor. Add apples and cinnamon. Process until apples are fully incorporated and as small as they will get.

Add almond meal until dough ball forms in food processor and it is not so sticky. If it is dry and crumbly, you will need to add more dates. Add walnuts and pulse just a few times to mix in. Remove dough and chill. Cut into bars or squares and store in the fridge.

Enjoy with all your vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and raw food friends!

More Pictures from Christmas

Christmas Morning!

This year the kids had stockings, beautifully handmade by Grandma:

Opening Stockings:

Christmas Brunch, with Grandmother, Grandma and Papa:
I tried some new recipes and they were SO good! We had Amish Breakfast Casserole, Christmas Morning Biscuit Twists (made with fresh whole wheat), and fresh fruit. My mom brought some yummy homemade muffins too. Anyone surprised that I gained 6 pounds in the last month? (Anything for you, baby :)

The kids were still having fun playing with their new toys from the night before and visiting with their grandparents, so we didn't even take them out of their jammies that morning.  After naps, we made birthday cup-cakes for Jesus. In the evening we had a ham for Christmas dinner and went for a drive around town to look at the Christmas lights.

Do-it-yourself natural fruit spray?

My current bottle of natural spray for cleaning produce has come to an end and I thought I might give making my own a try.  I found this recipe.  Have you tried making your own cleaning supplies?  Any suggestions?  

Fish Tacos

Here's how I made it for 5 people with no grill:

FISH:

6 Tilapia filets, cut in half

Lawry's Mexican Chile & Lime Marinade

Marinate filets for 30 min or more

Bake at 450F 5-6 min; flip; bake another 5-6 min

COLE SLAW:

One bag of shredded cabbage

4 tsp lime juice

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients (it's fun to do this with your hands - clean of course!)

TORTILLAS:

12 flour tortillas (or a combo of flour and corn tortillas)

Throw the tortillas directly on oven rack at 450F for 3-5 min - careful the ones on the bottom rack go fast!  Tortillas should be hot and a little crispy, but not too much to bend for tacos.

GARNISH:

Chopped cilantro

Diced fresh tomato

Set out all ingredients as a buffet for assembling the tacos.  Sides: Black beans (also a good topping), grilled corn, fresh fruit.

This is a great, light meal for warm weather.  Thanks to Laura and Publix for this recipe!