Mama Mia Maria Biscotti with adjustments

I’m trying another Biscotti recipe with no shortening in this recipe.

Note: these biscotti were very difficult to work without a bit of a challenge.  The first recipe I tried was extremely soft and there wasn't anyway I could roll them without having to add flour.

Recently I tried the recipe once again with adjustments.

I used 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour which made the dough more workable and as always I use large tablespoons in a row to place on my sprayed with baking spray on aluminum foil.  Much easier thicker dough and removes easily from cookie sheet to cool.

Below I'll show you how I do this recipe to make the dough and process so much easier. Make sure to seal edges and top.  You'll find you can do this method with all biscotti recipes.  So much easier for sure.  Enjoy!

****Adapted to my liking.

2 1/2 cups flour , 1 1/4 baking powder and I used either anise, orange or vanilla butternut extract.  I also added mini semi chocolate chips to this recipe.  Baking time was the same.

If you are cutting fat from your diet this may be a nice alternative. Also you can cut back on the sugar as well.  1/2 cup is fine.  A hint of sweetness with a favorable exact can easily compliment  your morning cup of coffee or tea.  Enjoy!

The thoughts are if you are cutting back of fat in a biscotti recipe you may like this recipe.

The biscotti were a little chewer than mine and the consistency was different . The flavor was anise extract so you may like it or substitute orange extract and rind of the orange or maybe butternut extract. It’s easy and quick to make but time didn’t matter for me because my recipe is easy too but is way more favorable because it has butter which changes the game for me.  All my recipes for Biscotti, my aunts, mine and my variations have butter in them so try hers you may like them. I'll stick to the family favorites which include butter in the ingredients.  .

I’m interested in what your opinion is of these biscotti. Try and rate them. IMO Mine are a 10. Id rate these a 6 .

 

Oats and stuff cookies

I love these little bites of goodness.  I make them often just because they are so good and I don’t feel guilty grabbing several.

A good day to bake!

1 cup oats 

Pinch salt

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 T soft peanut butter

2 ripe bananas smashed

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried cranberries 

Bake 400° for 20 minutes 

Mine were dark on the bottom which I don’t mind.  If you do adjust oven by about 5 minutes,

Placed smashed bananas in a deep bowl. Add softened peanut butter. Stir with a large spoon to blend.  Add oats and cinnamon. Stir. Add semi sweet chocolate chips and dried cranberries.  Stir to combine. Using a meatball type scooper place each scoop on parchment paper as illustrated below. 

Bake as directed.  Yummy!

A great snack !

Enjoy!

Chewy pineapple cherry cookies

WHEN I SAW THIS RECIPE I WAS DRAWN TO MAKE THIS COOKIE…

Next batch 11/21/23

I decided that my curiosity of a fruit cookie that had candied fruit in it drew me to making this recipe.  I thought what a nice cookie for Christmas!

Side Note:  I don’t like fruitcake so my fear was I might not like this cookie…,

After trying several (2) lol they’ll be on my CHRISTMAS COOKIE List.

  

They are a chewier cookie (next day)and I followed the recipe although I was short on nuts so some baked flatter that I would have liked. I also used all Glacé fruit because I could find dried cherries. When I make them for Christmas I will hopefully find the dried cherries.  If not I will substitute another dried fruit.  Maybe raisins, cranberries or dates…

Substituting Fruit Cake Mix for the glace cherries and glace pineapple is NOT recommended. Fruit cake mix contains citron, which is a lemony and VERY STRONGLY FLAVORED candied fruit peel. Its flavor will absolutely overpower these cookies. 

****Note:  use enough nuts.  And I only used (1) cup of glacé fruit.

The first day the cookies were slightly crispy and a bit chewy and second day they were chewier.  

 Yum to both ways…

• 1 cup glace cherries red or green or gold or a combination, chopped
• ▢ 1 cup glace pineapple chopped
• ▢ ¾ cup dried cherries chopped
• ▢ ½ cup pecans chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup walnuts chopped
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ¼ cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flourdivided
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a handheld electric mixer with a large mixing bowl), cream the softened butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until well combined, light, and very, very creamy, about 2 minutes. 
  After tossing gently the fruit and nutmeats mixture with the remaining flour ,baking soda, and salt add to creamed mixture.  Mix with wooden spoon until combined.
• Use a 1 tablespoon measure cookie scoop to drop the dough approximately dough 21/2-inches apart onto each baking sheet.( I used a meatball scooper). Bake at 350℉ for 12-14 minutes until the edges and centers are baked and slightly golden. Do not underbake!
  Cool on baking sheet for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes remove to cooling rack.
  ****Recommended storage.  Store loosely in a cool area.  I would not make these cookies too far ahead of when you are serving them.
  Enjoy!

***Adapted from Not Entirely average

 

Lemon thumbprint cookies

New Cookie recipe today.  I always try making a few new cookies every year before the holidays.

I think these cookies would be great for Thanksgiving for a nice light dessert with coffee, tea or cappuccino.

       Oh

▢ (2 cups) all-purpose flour 

▢ g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes

▢ (½ cup) sugar

▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

▢ 

▢ 1 large egg, at room temperature

▢ ½ cup) homemade lemon curd( ****I bought a jar of lemon curd)

▢ powdered sugar for sifting over cookies optional

Take ( almost 1 tablespoon) of the dough and roll them into balls. Alternatively, you can divide the dough equally into 22 pieces and roll them into balls as this recipe makes approximately 22 cookies. 

Using the back of a 1 teaspoon-sized rounded balls indent the center of cookie before baking.

Preheat the oven to 350°F(177°C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Instructions:

Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat on medium speed for almost 2 minutes until creamy with a hand-held mixer or with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer. 

Add the egg and mix well. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula during these steps when needed to be sure they are all mixed. Add the 2 cups of flour slowly remembering not to over mix.

Bake for almost 11-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown.  Don’t over bake so the cookies will stay soft.  When the edges are golden brown but the middle is still soft, remove from the oven.  If needed, you can press the middle of the cookie again with a clean measuring spoon. Then immediately fill the cookies with almost ½ and ¼ teaspoon lemon curd. The filling will set while the cookies are cooling on the baking sheet.

Lightly sift powdered sugar over the cooled cookies.

Adapted to my liking from

pastry and beyond

White chocolate chips and macadamia nut cookies

The below cookie recipe was so good I’m making them with white chocolate morsels and macadamia nuts.

Today I made a half recipe.  It made 20  medium cookies .

4  1/4 cups All purpose flour

1tsp. Baking soda

1tsp. Baking powder 

1 1/2 cups butter

1  1/4 cups sugar

1  1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 Eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla 

****2 cups chocolate chunks or morsels

For this recipe I used 3/4 cup white chocolate morsels and

1/2 cups macadamia nuts

Heat oven to 375°.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

In your upright mixer combine butter, regular sugar and brown sugar.  Beat at medium speed.  Add eggs and vanilla.

Reduce speed beat on low slowly adding flour mixture.  Best until we’ll mixed.  Add chocolate .  Mix chocolate with a wooden spoon until incorporated.

Using a meatball size scooper( tablespoon size). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Used parchment paper to line my sheet.  Spacing well.  

Bake 10 to 12 minutes depending on size and your oven.****  Ovens vary in temperature.. 

 Do not overbake but they should be light golden brown.

Let stand a few minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

For approximately 2 to 2 1/2 size cookies you will get about 4 dozen.

Snowball cookies

                          Snowballs to the right!

Snow balls.

2 cups chopped pecans, 

2 cups all purpose flour, 

1/2 teaspoon salt, 

1 cup butter softened  ( I use salted butter so I don’t add any extra salt). 

1/4 cup granulated sugar,

 1 teaspoon vanilla, 

confectioners sugar to toss them in 

Cream butter , granulated sugar and vanilla , add flour, salt and mix well.

Stir in pecans, roll into 1 inch balls and bake at 350 11-13 minutes, when cooled roll in confectioners sugar this recipe makes about 4 dozen but doubles and triples very well.

Store in a dry cool area or they freeze great.  Hint: I occasionally grab one or two out of freezer for an extra treat for me…they are so yummy!

Maraschino-Cream Sandwich cookies

After coming across this in a People Magazine I thought id get a little baking in today.

I going to type this recipe so hopefully you might want to make them for a Special occasion or Christmas.

The recipe for the cookie is more like a shortbread but its firm and melts in your mouth with flavor. 

Today was the perfect day and since it wasn't a large recipe it didn't take very much time at all to make these cookies. The recipe was a little difficult to read so I am attempting to get it out to you so you will  understand it better.

   Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIE

2 1/4 cups All purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter softened

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing:

6 tsp. softened butter

1 Tablespoon maraschino juice(you could add more for darker color)

2 Cups Powdered sugar

1-2Tablespoons heavy cream

Whisk together melted butter, cherry liquid and remaining two cups powdered sugar to combine. add 1 Tablespoon cream and whisk to combine.

Note: The filling/icing should not be runny so if you decide to add more cherry juice for color, watch amount.

Spoon icing on one side of cookie(about 1/2 tsp. of icing seems enough for me) and push down.  

Let sandwich set for at least an hour then either serve or refrigerate until using.

Note: this recipe only makes 24 cookies so it's a manageable .   Double recipe if you need more than 24.

***I'm refrigerating mine then freezing for later use.  We did mange to eat a dozen.  They are very good and rich so small size bits work very well.

The filling should be spreadable.  Spoon 1 tsp. of icing on one side of cookie and then top with the other cookie.  Press down slightly.

Cookie Batter:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl  place flour, salt,1/2 cup powdered sugar set aside.

  Using your hand mixer stationary mix softened butter, shortening and vanilla

Slowly add flour mixture to your creamed butter mixture until all in incorporated and beat until smooth.

Portion dough into 48 small uniform balls. Roll balls in the palm of your hand.  Place on parchment paper 2 inches apart.  Use a lightly flour fork to cross  hatch pattern( Similar design when you make peanut butter cookies.

Bake in pre heated 350 oven for 8 to 12 minutes.  Mine needed the 12 minutes.  Do no over bake  They'll start to brown slightly around edges.

Cool cookies in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to completely cool.

Remove to cooling rack and don't ice them until cookies are completely cooled.