Biscotti Toscani

Biscotti Toscani

Biscotti is a twice baked cookie.  It is oblong in shaped, and made dry and crunchy through cutting the loaf of dough while still hot and fresh from baking in the oven.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry toasted sliced almonds
1/3 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond exract
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1  1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, vanilla, almond extract and orange zest.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.

Add to the creamed mixture, and mix until blended.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Divide dough in half.  Place on a greased and floured baking sheet and form into two logs about 1/2-inch thick, 1 1/2-inches wide and 12-inches long, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Carefully transfer from the baking sheet to a cutting board.  Let cool 5 minutes.

With a serrated knife slice diagonally at a 45 degree angle about 1/2-inch thick.

Lay the slices flat on a baking sheet and return to the oven for 12 to 13 minutes.  Turn the biscotti over and bake for another 12 to 13 minutes.  THE BISCOTTI SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY HARD, DRY, AND LIGHTLY GOLDEN BROWN IN COLOR.

Let cool on a rack.  Store in a tightly covered container.

Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen biscotti

Looking for another biscotti recipe?  If yes, here's a Double Chocolate Biscotti recipe!

http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2014/05/double-chocolate-biscotti.html

Crescent Dogs

Crescent Dogs

Crescent rolls update the popular "pig-in-blanket" concept.  These yummy treats are easy to make and kids and adults love them.

Do you need an accompanying side dish for the dogs?   If yes, here's the link for Papa's Mac & Cheese.

http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2012/11/presidential-macaroni-and-cheese.html

Ingredients:

8 hot dogs
1 (8 oz) can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Separate dough into triangles.

Wrap dough triangle around each hot dog, and place on a lightly greased (sprayed) baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

* If you would like cheese with your crescent dogs, take four slices of american cheese and cut each slice into 6 strips.  Before you roll up the crescent dogs, make a slit into each dog to within 1/2-inch of ends and insert 3 strips of cheese into each slit.