Life has been a little too busy with the twins. There are days when i can hardly get anything done and hence the absence from the blog world. Unless i wanna post about all the baby food i make and the struggle to make them eat it. No thanks, i'm not looking for a writers meltdown, been having enough of those already.
My grandmother brought a lot of Kirkland's almonds from her last trip to Canada. She is always complaining how we don't get the right kind over here. Even though i agree to disagree with my beloved nano on this, i gladly accepted a few handfuls and started thinking of all that i could bake with "free" almonds. On a serious note Kirkland's products are actually really good and are available at all the good supermarkets in Pakistan. Here is an Almond Biscotti recipe for now. I simply love how crunchy this Scottish biscuit can be. Perfect for a tea time snack. As for the leftover almonds stock, i'm gonna try Petit Fours very soon. Looking forward to that already.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly brown and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl whisk the eggs with the vanilla and almond extracts.
In a large bowl whisk the flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the chopped almonds. Then add the egg mixture and stir until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half, and on a lightly floured surface roll each half into a 7 inch (18 cm) log that is about 3 - 4 inches (8 - 10 cm) wide. Transfer logs to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes, or until firm to the touch (log will spread during baking). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer logs to a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut logs into slices about 1/4 - 1/2 inch (6-12 mm) thick on the diagonal. Place the slices of biscotti on the baking sheet and bake about 10-15 minutes, turn slices over, and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until firm to the touch. (The longer you bake the biscotti the more crisp and crunchy they will be.) Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container for several weeks.
For Chocolate Dipped Biscotti: Place 4 ounces (120 grams) of the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it over a saucepan of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from heat. Add the remaining chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until it has completely melted and is smooth and glossy. Taking one biscotti at a time, dip one end into the melted chocolate and place on a parchment or wax paper- lined baking sheet. Once all the biscotti have been dipped in the chocolate, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.
Makes about 40 biscotti.
Courtesy of joyofbaking.com
One of my friends suggested to spend sometime with myself as a way out of all these recent meltdowns i have been having. She is a fellow blogger and herself keeps up the activity to keep her sanity intact. Well here you go Fatee. Here's my attempt of trying to write again. I hope i keep up with it.
Actually I have been wanting to change the blog template, put on something fresh before i post a new recipe. But after a lot of tweaking and my failed attempts to customize the one i really liked, i had to go with something simple and easy that is available at blogger.com. Another realization of the past few days that the techy in me has been long lost somewhere. A friend said on Facebook when i mentioned this; "And if you extend your maternity leave for more than nine months then all you remember is dirty diapers and your kids food time" So true.
Anyway, A and Z will have their birthday in about a month. There are alot of things i have been planning for that, which would mean you all will get to see some new recipes. It may also be the starting point of the event planning part of Zoya's Bakeshop. I have a lot of ideas in line for that, but im just looking for the right time to launch it. Right now i feel like i already have a lot on my plate so hitting the pause button on execution of my plans.
My grandmother brought a lot of Kirkland's almonds from her last trip to Canada. She is always complaining how we don't get the right kind over here. Even though i agree to disagree with my beloved nano on this, i gladly accepted a few handfuls and started thinking of all that i could bake with "free" almonds. On a serious note Kirkland's products are actually really good and are available at all the good supermarkets in Pakistan. Here is an Almond Biscotti recipe for now. I simply love how crunchy this Scottish biscuit can be. Perfect for a tea time snack. As for the leftover almonds stock, i'm gonna try Petit Fours very soon. Looking forward to that already.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (180 ml) whole almonds (blanched (skins off) or natural (skins on))
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For Chocolate Dipped Biscotti: (optional)
6 ounces (180 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly brown and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl whisk the eggs with the vanilla and almond extracts.
In a large bowl whisk the flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the chopped almonds. Then add the egg mixture and stir until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half, and on a lightly floured surface roll each half into a 7 inch (18 cm) log that is about 3 - 4 inches (8 - 10 cm) wide. Transfer logs to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes, or until firm to the touch (log will spread during baking). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer logs to a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut logs into slices about 1/4 - 1/2 inch (6-12 mm) thick on the diagonal. Place the slices of biscotti on the baking sheet and bake about 10-15 minutes, turn slices over, and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until firm to the touch. (The longer you bake the biscotti the more crisp and crunchy they will be.) Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container for several weeks.
For Chocolate Dipped Biscotti: Place 4 ounces (120 grams) of the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it over a saucepan of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from heat. Add the remaining chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until it has completely melted and is smooth and glossy. Taking one biscotti at a time, dip one end into the melted chocolate and place on a parchment or wax paper- lined baking sheet. Once all the biscotti have been dipped in the chocolate, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.
Makes about 40 biscotti.
Courtesy of joyofbaking.com
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