Tag: biscotti

2013 Highlights

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I hate to be that person, but I’m going to say it: I can’t believe 2013 is coming to a close.  Seriously, where did the year go?

I remember when I was in college, my friend Hazel would laugh at me because I recounted my days through my meals.  So in traditional Karla (Foodologie) fashion, let me recount my year by favorite things I made/ate.

In January, I was all sorts of awesome (modest, right?).  I made two of my favorite things:

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Bourbon Banana Pie

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Orange-Pistachio Biscotti

Seriously, those are probably my two favorite sweets I made all year.  So much so that I made them for Christmas.  After January, I had clearly eaten too much pie and biscotti so I felt the need to do a crazy thing: a 30 day paleo challenge.

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It was a shit storm, for lack of better words.  If you want to relive that (I don’t, but that’s cool), check out these posts:

Paleo Challenge: Day 1
Paleo Challenge: Day 2
Paleo Challenge: Day 3 & 4
Paleo Challenge: Day  5, 6, & 7
Paleo Challenge: Day 8 (Plus 1 Week Thoughts)
Paleo Challenge: Day 9 & 10
Paleo Challenge: Day 11
Paleo Challenge: Day 13 (apparently 12 doesn’t exist?)
Paleo Challenge: Ending Early  <— spoiler I quit!
Life After the Paleo Challenge

But after Paleo, I became a semi-normal person again.  I tried to make healthy things

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Like Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash

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and Eggplant Rolls to balance out my ridiculous desire to ALWAYS eat cake

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This year, I also made awesome blogger friends.  Now I can say Allison from Sweet Potato Bites and Samantha from Little Ferraro Kitchen are real life friends, which is cool!  Who wants to be real life friends next year?

(photo stolen from Sweet Potato Bites)

This year I also decided food parties were a good idea. So I started with a Fried Chicken and Waffles party.

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Because I had never fried chicken and that seemed like a good idea.  It was.

Then Allison and I teamed up with Peanut Butter & Co and threw a Peanut Butter Party.

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That was all sorts of fun.  Next year, I’d like to do a pancake party, a cocktail party and, if we get crazy, a tamale making party, because why not?

Then let’s not forget how in 2013 I became obsessed with protein powders.  And it continues because I keep putting protein powder in everything, like these pancakes…

pumpkinproteinpancakes4But the highlight of the year for me was our trip to Peru

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We hiked, we ate guinea pig, saw llamas, walked everywhere and had a great time.  It was amazing.  I only wish it could have been longer.

Now that 2013 is almost over, I’m excited for 2014.  I hope you’ll follow me along next year as I continue to make sweets and healthy things to cut the guilt.  I promise I’ll keep the crossfit talk to a minimum and I’ll keep taking pictures of myself in dressing rooms and sharing those, like this shirt I bought yesterday…shirt

Just kidding! Well, actually, no I’ll probably still do that, but I promise one day I’ll get over that habit.

Have a wonderful New Year’s Eve filled with Champagne, goodies, friends and family! I wish you the best in the New Year and thank you for following my blog in 2013!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Orange-Pistachio Biscotti

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Sometimes I wish I had a fashion/style blog like Kendi Everyday, but then I remember I lack a unique sense of fashion (hence why I feel the need to text pictures of my outfits to my friends for approval).

I simply cannot accessorize. If you can, bless your heart.

More importantly, I’ve noted that these style bloggers all have fabulous significant others (or something or other) who can take fantastically flattering pictures of them in random parts of cities.  No luck there for me either.

Instead, I oogle style blogs on a regular basis and stick to making food… like biscotti.  Biscotti is like the silky scarf of cookies, don’t you think?

Orange-Pistachio Biscotti

Better than the average cookie and even more divine when dipped in hot coffee.  The orange and pistachio combination.  Classic.  Like a black dress.

Orange-Pistachio Biscotti

Orange-Pistachio Biscotti

adapted from Allrecipes Biscotti

1/2 canola oil
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
zest of 2 oranges
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup shelled pistachios
2 cup white chocolate chips (plus more for drizzling)
1-2 tsp canola oil

Preheat oven to 375F.  Beat together canola oil, sugar, eggs, orange zest and vanilla until well combined.  Beat in flour and baking soda until almost combined.  Add pistachios and 1 cup of white chocolate chips.  Divide dough in half.  Form into two logs about 2 or 3 inches wide and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven allow to cool until you can handle it without burning yourself.   Reduce oven temperature to 325F.  Then slice at a slight diagonal into half inch slices.  Lay onto baking sheet again and bake 5 minutes on each side.  Allow to cool completely.

Orange Pistachio Biscotti

Once cookies are completely cooled, place white chocolate chips into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and repeat until chocolate is melted.  Add a teaspoon or two of canola oil until the chocolate is a little runny (but not too much).  Drizzle over cooled cookies.  Allow chocolate to harden and serve with hot coffee or tea.  Makes about 40 cookies and can be stored in an air tight container up to 1 week.

Orange-Pistachio Biscotti

If you, like me, are lacking in the style department, don’t despair.  These cookies will distract anyone from noticing that your shoes don’t match your outfit and you’re missing an earring.

Orange-Pistachio Biscotti

Save the cash you would spend on a new pair of boots and get yourself a Kitchen Aid stand mixer.  That’s what I did today…

…And oh yeah, Happy New Year!

Almond Joy Biscotti: Almond-Coconut Biscotti Dipped in Chocolate

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Sometimes I have random cravings like a pregnant woman.  No, I’m not pregnant.  Trust me.  I’m not, but my sister is pregnant so this is my point of comparison.  At times, I think I crave things as often as she does.

Tonight, I really wanted crunchy, raw cabbage with lemon lime and salt.  It was wonderful (and pretty random, right?).

Last week, I wanted biscotti.

Also totally random right?  Except for that fact that biscotti is delicious, and really I can’t think of a time I wouldn’t want to enjoy some biscotti with a cup of coffee.

But this biscotti:

This biscotti is crazy-delicious.  Hard to believe but true.  So go ahead.  Write down the recipe and get in the kitchen….

Almond Joy Biscotti

adapted from All Recipes

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cups sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 cups chocolate chips
1-2 tbsp oil

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in one egg at a time then vanilla.  Stir in flour, baking powder and salt, until not quite combined.  Fold in almonds and coconut.

Line two baking sheets (or 1 large one) with parchment paper.  Flour your hands then take half the dough and drop it onto a baking sheet and try to mold it into a log-shape, more or less 3 inches wide and 12 inches long.  I say more or less because the dough will be very sticky and hard to handle but don’t worry it’ll all turn out fine once baked.  Do the same with the other half.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  Once the logs have cooled, using a serrated bread cut slightly slanted into 1/2-3/4 inch thick cookies.

Turn oven down to 275F.  Lay on another parchment paper-lined baking sheets, bake for 5-10 minutes or until golden on the bottom.  Flip each cookie and bake another 5-10 minutes.  Keep a close eye on them you don’t want to burn them!

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  Once the cookies have cooled.  Place chocolate chips in a bowl, microwave 30 seconds, then stir.  Microwave another 30 seconds, then stir.  Repeat until chocolate is melted.  Stir in 1-2 tbsp oil until the chocolate is slightly runny.

Dip one side of each cookie (Note: this makes about 40 cookies) in chocolate and lay on parchment paper.  Drizzle any remaining chocolate on top of cookies.  Refrigerate half an hour until chocolate sets.

Make a pot of coffee, serve and enjoy!

The good thing is if you’re not craving biscotti at this very moment, they stay good for about a week in an air-tight container.

So go ahead and preemptively give in to your cravings.

Make these, then snap a photo and send it to me!  No really, do it!