Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti

When I was a kid, biscotti was the height of elegant, fancy food in my mind. It brought to mind pictures of very noble british ladies with long dresses and charming accents. I remember being nine, ten years old sitting in a coffee shop with my mom, sipping my hot chocolate and dipping my biscotti, feeling oh so fancy. When my mom wasn’t looking, I’d hold out my pinkie finger as I took a sip of my drink.





This biscotti is a little more down to earth though. It’s got a fantastic crackly top that tastes just like cinnamon breakfast cereal, without that artificial after taste. It’s really, really tasty, and I’ll be having some for breakfast in the morning. If there’s any left, that is.



Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti
epicurious.com via joy the baker
makes about 24

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla

For Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 beaten egg (for brushing biscotti before baking)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange two baking racks in the upper portion of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Also whisk together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the down and beat in the egg followed by the egg yolk. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter all at once. With the mixer or just with a spatula, bring all of the ingredients together until a somewhat stiff dough is formed.
Divide the dough and place on baking sheet. Shape each half of dough into a 9-inch long and 1 1/2-inch wide log. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle very generously with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the baking sheet around for even baking and bake for 20-25 more minutes until golden and firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven but keep the oven on. Let biscotti cool until able to handle. Using a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch wide diagonal slices. Place biscotti cut side down on baking sheet and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar. Bake again until pale golden, about 10-15 minutes.
Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Hello World! How are you doing? I must confess, I have no deliciousness to show you today. I’ve been baking, but it’s all been posted here before. I’ll bring you something new soon, I promise. But until then, here’s a random little ramble.



I’m so excited about planting a spring garden! I’ve been flipping through seed catalogs like a mad woman. So many choices, so much possibility. I’m the most excited about my herbs - I really love growing herbs. What’s your favorite?

I was in the grocery store yesterday, looking for blood oranges (which i didn't find!) when I stumbled upon this little display of potted herbs. They were from a local farm - I just had to buy one. I picked hyssop, because I love the name, and the bright green color, even though I have no idea what to do with it. ha! Any suggestions?




I’m learning to crochet. I’ve never been all that interested in it, but one day about a month ago I found this afghan pattern and fell in love. It’s so charming and modern looking, nothing like the idea of crochet I had in my mind. I wanted to be able to make it. So I bought some crochet hooks and yarn, and I’m on my way. So far I can only do a chain stitch and single crochet, but I’ll get there eventually. I love learning new things!



Have you checked out the blog So Good & Tasty? It’s pretty new to me, I’m smitten! I adore Jacqui’s homey photography and delicious looking recipes. You should head over there, I know you’ll love it just as much as I do!

I do believe that's all I have to say today. Have a lovely day!

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Oh Snow. It’s running my life these days. I don’t remember this much snow, ever. My dad tells stories of back in 83’ when he was driving a tractor trailer for a living, there was a winter like this. A couple of miles took hours, he said. I’m just not used to it. I like snow, I do. It’s beautiful, and so quiet. It softens all the greys and browns of the winter landscape, making everything bright and magical.

But when I can’t leave the house for days on end because the roads are icy and I can’t drive up the hill without sliding backwards, to be honest, I have a hard time being grateful for the stuff. Oh, and of course, it’s cold. Bitterly cold.



I’m trying to refocus though, and see the good. There is good. Like this beautiful blue sky I saw a yesterday, when the grey clouds cleared for a couple of hours:



And of course, all of this time indoors has lead to many hours in the kitchen. I’ve made lots of loaves of this bread, and turned it into fantastic pizza crust. I’ve made muffins, tarts, cookies and other yummy things. And today, I got out of my baking comfort zone and made soup. Delicious, healthy, clean out the fridge type soup. Just what I needed today to lift my spirits.

This is a highly adapted version of the soup on the January cover of Martha Stewart Living. It’s great because you can pretty much add anything you’ve got in your pantry or refrigerator. I roasted a chicken before hand and shredded it to make more of a chicken soup than a veggie one, but you could leave it out entirely.



Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Soup
adapted from Martha Stewart

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, cut into cubes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 pinches of red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
5 1/4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 cups water
2 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces), cut into cubes
about 3 cups of fresh spinach
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 whole chicken, roasted and shredded (I use this recipe)

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook onion, , carrots, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add stock and water, and bring to a boil.

2. Add potatoes. Return to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach, chicken and chickpeas, and return to a boil. Stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

P.S. you can become a fan of Honey & Jam on facebook now, if you’d like! I’ll probably be posting a few extras on there now and then. Click here to join.

Homemade Doughnuts

To be honest, I’m not the biggest doughnut fan. I regularly pass when offered one. It’s just not my thing, not even those straight off the conveyer belt at Krispy Kreme, whose hot light seems to make people lose all the sense the good lord gave them. I have a friend who will actually swerve off the road at the sight of that neon sign. People seem to be in love with the things, but I’ve just never cared for them.



So, when I saw this recipe on The Pioneer Woman, I was intrigued. Maybe I would like them more if I made them at home? And you know what? I do. But I have to say you need to go into it without your preconceptions, because these don’t taste much like Krispy Kremes at all. They are just a bit more dense (but not much), and definitely not as sweet.



This was...an experience. I’m not going to tell you it was easy, because it’s not, it's messy and labor intensive, but it's also a lot of fun and a great way to spend a Saturday when you’re completely snowed in! I spiced mine up with a chocolate glaze and some sprinkles, I think a maple glaze would be good too. I love that about these, you can customize them any way you want. I’d love to try jelly filled next.



Homemade Glazed Donuts
From The Pioneer Woman, check out her site for very helpful step by step photos.

Ingredients
Doughnuts
1-⅛ cup Whole Milk, Warm
¼ cups Sugar
2-¼ teaspoons (one Package) Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
2 whole Large Eggs, Beaten
1-¼ stick Unsalted Butter, melted
4 cups All-purpose Flour
¼ teaspoons Salt
Canola Oil

GLAZE
3 cups Powdered Sugar
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Vanilla
½ cups Cold Water Or Milk

Preparation Instructions

To Make the Dough:
1. Make sure milk is nice and warm, but not overly hot.

2. Add sugar to milk. Stir to dissolve.

3. Add yeast into a small bowl.

4. Pour milk/sugar mixture over yeast. Stir gently, then let sit for 10 minutes.

5. Melt butter in separate bowl until butter is almost melted. Stir to finish melting so butter won’t be overly hot.

6. Add beaten eggs to melted butter, stirring constantly to make sure the butter’s not too hot for the eggs.

7. Add the egg/butter mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.

8. With the mixer on 3 or medium-low speed, pour in the yeast mixture.

9. Allow the dough hook to stir this mixture for a couple of minutes, making sure it’s thoroughly combined.

10. With the mixer still going, add helpings of the flour mixture in 1/4 to 1/2 cup increments until all the flour is gone.

11. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, then turn the mixer on the same speed for five whole minutes.

12. After five minutes, stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the bowl.

13. Turn on the mixer for 30 seconds.

14. Turn off the mixer and allow the dough to sit in the bowl undisturbed for 10 minutes.

15. After 10 minutes, transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Toss the dough to coat, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place straight in the fridge.

16. Refrigerate dough for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

To Make the Doughnuts:
1. Remove bowl from fridge and turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.

2. Roll out to 1/4 to 1/3-inch thickness.

3. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut as many rounds as you can, then roll out remaining dough and cut as much as you can, etc.

4. Cut holes out of each round using a 1 1/2-inch cutter.

5. Place both doughnuts and holes on a floured baking sheet.
6. Cover with large tea towel and place in a warm place in your kitchen; my kitchen is very drafty, so I have to briefly warm the griddle, then turn it off and set the sheets on top to keep warm.

7. Allow doughnuts to rise undisturbed for at least 1 hour; 1 hour 15 minutes if necessary. Doughuts should be visibly puffier and appear to be airy.

To Fry the Dougnuts
1. Heat plenty of canola oil in a large pot until the temperature reaches 375 to 380 degrees—do not let it get hotter than 380 degrees! 375 is ideal; keep the thermometer in the pan to continually monitor.

2. One to two at a time, gently grab doughnuts and ease them into the hot oil. Allow them to cook 1 minute on each side; they will brown very quickly.

3. Remove doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon, allowing all oil to drip off.

4. Place doughnut immediately on several layers of paper towels. Count to five, then flip it over onto a clean part of the paper towels. Count to five, then flip it over again; the purpose, obviously, is to drain as much grease as possible before it soaks into the doughnut.

5. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and holes. The holes will cook more quickly than the doughnuts; about 30 seconds per side.

6. Allow doughnuts to slightly cool.

To Glaze
1. Mix all glaze ingredients in a bowl until completely smooth.

2. One by one, dip doughnuts into the glaze until halfway submerged. (Note: completely submerge doughnut holes, then remove with slotted spoon.)

3. Remove from glaze, then turn right side up on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet (to catch dripping glaze.)

4. Serve warm if possible, or room temperature.

Chocolate Glaze
From Alton Brown

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions
Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted. Turn off heat, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Place the mixture over a bowl of warm water and dip the doughnuts immediately. Allow glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These are need-no-special-occasion cupcakes. Actually, they aren’t really cupcakes at all, but muffins. Throw on some pretty white icing though, some sprinkles and some coconut, like a fancy new dress and a set of pearls, and it’s transformed into a cupcake. The muffin-like base, chock full of carrot and pineapple is accented perfectly by the sweet-tangy cream cheese frosting. Great for a Tuesday afternoon.



Especially if it’s a Tuesday afternoon like this one, all dark and gloomy. These are a sure fire way to brighten your day.



Carrot Cupcakes
adapted from epicurious
Makes about 9 regular sized cupcakes

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil, hazelnut oil, or walnut oil
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out, as I’m allergic)
1/2 cup chopped, drained pineapple
1 cup finely grated carrot

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with liners. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and eggs until blended, and then stir the egg mixture into the flour with a rubber spatula. Fold in the walnuts, pineapple, and grated carrot.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.


Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounce bar cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
shredded coconut

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Frost cupcakes, and garnish with shredded coconut.

NOTE: This won’t make enough to generously frost each cupcake. You might want to double it.

P.S. The lovely Sean from Take Thou Food posted an interview with me today! You can see that here. Thanks, Sean!