Winter Biscotti with Orange Zest and Crandberries

T'is the season to embrace hot beverages and sweet treats!  This recipe is a new found family recipe... aka it comes from my husbands side!  I hope you fall in love with the biscotti as much as I feel in love with the chef!

Ingredients:

1/2c    orange zest
6        eggs
6.5c   flour
2c      sugar
1c      dried cranberries
2tbs   baking soda
1c      vegetable oil
1tbs   extract (usually vanilla)
2tbs   fruit liquor (optional)

Serves: a party!
Time: 1 hour, better chilled over night

This is actually a double batch, because why would you want less!  But feel free to half everything :) 

Directions:

1) Zest 2 to 3 oranges, or until you have 1/2c of zest.

2) Combine all dry ingredients (baking soda & flower) into a mixing bowl and proceed to whisk together! (they rise better)


3) Combine all wet ingredients in the mixer (or separate mixing bowl).  Feel free to add the  dried cranberries separately (and last).

4) While the mixer is on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.


5) Once the biscotti mix is smooth, cover it with serine wrap and chill it for overnight for better flavor.  The dough is way easier to work with chilled too.

6) Perheat the oven to 375 degrees.  ( This is assuming you are not going to bed to wait for the overnight part...)


7) This dough cooks like very large cookie dough, so it will rise and spread some.  Make loaves no more than 1.5 inch(s) thick.  One inch thick works if you are trying to make more classical biscotti.  Place on greased pan.

8) Cooking is tricky, you want then 80 % cooked before cutting.  They should have the consistency of fully cooked brownies just out of the oven.  People love them just like this too!

9) They won't be fully cooked if you pull them right.  Cutting into them should not put a lot of dough on the knife, but some may stick.  Wipe off any dough before cutting more as it will just attract more.  Greasing the knife helps.

10) Cut in 1/2 to 3/2 inch thick slices, Cook them longer the thicker the original loaf.  The extra half inch may require a min of 5 min more cooking time.  If trying to make huge biscotti think about covering them with tinfoil toward the end so they don't over brown.

10) Cook 3-5 min a side back on the original baking sheet, the ends only need to go through once face down.  Pull and allow to cool, done.

Cost:

orange                 $0.50

eggs                    $1.00

flour                    $2.00

sugar                   $1.00

dried cranberries $2.00

baking soda        $0.10

vegetable oil       $0.35

1tbs   extract       $0.20      

Total                    $7.15

Per piece            $0.19

Apple Cobbler: The Chocolatized Family Recipe Edition!

(And yes I made up the word chocolatized, 

but it should be a word 

so we are just going to roll with it...)

This recipe will be a side-by-side edition, featuring both the "traditional" and the "chocolatized." Think of it as the Yin and Yang of awesome comfort food deserts!

Ingredients:

Apples (for an eight inch round you will need 12+ small or 7 large sized)

1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats

1/4 cup of unsalted butter

1/3 cup white or brown sugar

And that is it!!

Time: 10 min to prepare

           30 min to bake

             5 min to cool before serving

           45 min TOTAL

So this is definitely one of those deserts that you can stick in the oven and then walk away from to enjoy dinner with your family, friends, and or guests.  As it is the end of the season, I would also like to point out that this recipe is great for apples just past their prime!  It also makes a great breakfast the next day, even cold out of the fridge, just sayin'.

Directions:

1) ALWAYS start with washing your apples.  I don't care where they came from, they should be washed.

2) Chop up desired amount of apples to fill your baking sheet 2/3 full when the apples are loosely packed.

3)Add desired alterations: This is the chocolatizing step!  I recommend adding a 1/4 to a 1/2 lb of walnut dark chocolate fudge to the dish.  Just make 1/2 inch cubes of the fudge and spread it around the dish.

4) Pre-melt the butter with a quick 10 seconds int eh microwave.  Repeat as necessary to reach a mostly melted puddle of butter.  You do not want to burn the butter so better to stop early than late!

5) Add the oats and sugar directly to the butter.  (The less dishes the better the desert!)  Note:  If you have carb loving guest, you can double the crust by just doubling everything that goes into the crust only, aka the butter oats and sugar.



6) Mix crust mixture well with a fork.  The oats should all have a slightly glossy look to them and the sugar should have no dry spots.  After that, it will all even out in the bake :)

7) "Fork" the crust mixture over the top of the apples. All apples to not need to be covered. (See image below.)

8) Bake at 325 degrees for 30 min, or until a light cripsy brown on top.  The apples should be bubbling when you take it out!

9) Let cool before serving! Five minutes is fine.

10) Serve: Al-la-mode or in a milk float or just straight up-- It's a "whatever makes you feel warm and comfy" kind of meal.


Cost:
$3      Apples
$1      Butter
$0.25 Oats
$0.25 Sugar         
$4.50 total 
(Unless add chocolate which usually adds about a buck.)

Delicious, delicious Yin and Yang Apple Cobbler!!!