Biscotti D'anici

Well, I've been meaning to post for a while, but my last two baking attempts were failed macarons that came out of the oven flat flat flat. That's no good, and I can't have two posts about my baking failures in a row (see pics of tomatoes and failed croissants).

So Friday I decided to bake something a little easier- biscotti. These twice-baked cookies are delicious on their own or dunked in tea or coffee.

My Grandmother used to take us to costco to buy Nonni's biscotti d'anici, and my older sister Rivka used to lug containers of it back to Israel. It's delicious. When I wanted some and there was none to be had in a country where Costco does not exist, I decided to make my own. I went to "hamishkal", a spice store in Givat Shmuel and bought five shekels worth of anise seed (thats about $1.50), found a recipe and made my own!

Even if you don't like the taste of anise seed, it's very muted in these cookies. They are still worth making!

So here's the recipe, adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens' "New Baking Book":

Biscotti D'anici

• 1/2 c butter or margarine
• 1 c sugar
  1 T anise seed, crushed
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 3 1/4 c flour
• 3/4 c chocolate chips or chocolate pieces

In a large mixing bowl beat butter until soft. Add sugar, anise seed and baking powder. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs until combined. Add the chocolate chips and flour. Beat in as much flour as you can with the spatula or mixer, and add any remaining flour by mixing the dough with your hands until you get a unniform ball of dough. Divide dough in half.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Shape each portion of dough into an 11-inch log. Place about 5 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten logs slightly until about two inches wide.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool logs for about an hour (I waited much less than this, but be careful if you cut them before they are fully cooled- they could crumble.) With a serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Lay slices cut side down on a cookie sheet.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for ten minutes. Turn slices over. Bake 10- 15 minutes more until dry and crisp. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool and enjoy!

Pictures of tomatoes and One Lemon (and some failed croissants)

I'm prepping you. I'm luring you in with nice pictures of tomatoes (and one lemon), so that when I show you pictures of my failed "sun-dappled" croissants at the end of this post you'll only think about how nicely the sun plays on the baked goods, and you won't think about how much they don't look like how croissants are supposed to look. Hey, at least i'm giving you a heads up.

Wild Rice and Onion Bread

I’m just going to get right down to it: this bread is sooo easy. Make it, impress your friends. Just dump the ingredients in a big bowl. Mix. Wait a few minutes, knead it a bit. Refrigerate, wait a bit, and bake. Easy peasy, and it’s delicious. Make sandwiches with it, or toast it. Don’t be intimidated by the detailed instructions, they are actually very helpful. I made this recipe using regular flour (I found that there is not such a big difference between bread flour and regular flour here, and the difference is not worth the cost), and leftover brown rice. I used dehydrated onions, but you can most certainly use regular onions. You can find the recipe on The Fresh Loaf's website (where else?)

I’m sending this bread yeastspotting and to Jamie, at Life's a Feast for Bread Baking Day #26, Happy Birthday Jamie!

Apple Cake and Four Months to Go

I’m getting married in four months (yay! let the countdown begin!). I have a dress I need to fit into. Despite this fact, I have recently determined to start blogging again- which does not only include baking and cooking- but eating! Big time. I just can’t help it though…I find these recipes filled with butter and chocolatey amazingness, and flour and brown sugar, and all good things transformed into one delicious dessert and I have to make it! Some would consider this counter-intuitive, but I think, what better way (besides finishing my degree!) to spend the next four months? Right? Right!

The other day I came home and my mom was in the throws of putting together an impromptu dinner for my sisters, brothers-in-law, fiancée, and his brother. While she was throwing stuff into a big pot on the stove while simultaneously chopping up onions and tomatoes she said “I wish we had a cake for dessert!” Well, never fear! Apple cake is here! My mother has had this recipe since seventh grade. It’s on a beat up recipe card in her red recipe box that I’ve known since I was little, and I thought it would be just the thing for dessert. The only problem was that by the time the apple cake was out of the oven sister and brother-in-law #1 went home to put my darling niece to sleep, sister #2 left, sister #3 went out with friends, and awesome fiancée and his brother went to play basketball. Oh well. More cake for me and my mom.

Apple Cake

• 3 eggs
• ¾ c. oil
• 1 c sugar (scant)
• 1 ½ c flour (sifted)
• 2 tsp b powder
• A pinch of salt
• 3-6 baking apples
• Rind of 1 orange + juice
• Cinnamon sugar (1 tsp cinnamon+ 5 tsp sugar)

Beat eggs. Add sugar, and continue to beat. Add oil, orange rind, and juice. Add sifted flour baking powder, and salt. Pour a little less than half the batter into the bottom of a greased square (8 *8) pan. Place sliced apples on batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Spread the remaining batter over the apples and cinnamon. Sprinkle the top with a little of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for one hour, or until baked.

Now excuse me, I have to get back to my breakfast of leftover pizza and cheesecake.

Have a great day!

Welcome Back and Soft Dinner Rolls

Ok, here we go. I haven't posted in a while, and its that time of night again- I'm done studying for the day but I'm not quite ready to go to sleep. Never-ending exams have started again. That means no class, and a wide-open schedule. I have a month and a half of tests to study for and papers to write. Still, right now, things are good and happy and quiet. It's like those few tranquil minutes right after you wake up in the morning- quiet, peaceful- just you and that cup of coffee.... Anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself. Tonight I decided to break my three month blog block., and that perfect song. I found a recipe on Jamie's blog that looked so enticing that I had to make it. I changed it a bit to suit what I had on hand (no buttermilk or cream, or bread flour) and they still turned out great. The original recipe can be found here on her fabulous blog, lifesafeast.

Layla Tov and good night friends. Enjoy the recipe!

Soft Dinner Rolls:
makes 12 rolls

1 lb (500 g) flour
2 T (30 g) sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ heaping (6 g) instant yeast
1 cup (250 ml) soured milk (1 T vinegar + enough milk to make one cup. Stir, and wait five minutes before using)
¼ cup (60 ml) plain yoghurt
4 T (60 g) unsalted butter, preferably at room temperature
1 large egg + 1 egg for wash

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Combine wet ingredients, besides the egg, in a saucepan, and gently heat until the butter melts, stirring. Crack the egg into the dry ingredients, mix slightly, and add the remaining wet ingredients. Mix together until a sticky dough forms. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes).

Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until double in bulk (about one hour). Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Let rest for a few minutes, and then form dough into rolls by rolling the pieces in the palm of your hand. Arrange on baking tray or round cake pan, leaving enough room for the rolls to expand. Cover and let rise again until doubled (about 45 mins). Preheat oven to 325 F/170 C. Brush each roll with the beaten egg, and bake for about twenty minutes until golden.