BISCOTTI

This recipe was in the Martha Stewart Food magazine. There were other versions to try as well. See below for almond biscotti. I liked it better than the chocolate. But I have got to stop making it - I can't stay out of it :-) Made it for VT people on Valentine's Day. Took with hot chocolate packets and said - You warm our hearts. Took me about 2 hours to make two batches.

Next time I make this I want to dip some of it in almond bark or white/vanilla chocolate.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
So good in either hot chocolate, milk or eat by itself.

1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
pinch of cayenne pepper (didn't add)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt (didn't add)
---
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 T pure vanilla extract
---
1/2 cup roughly chopped bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl (I used the Bosch) combine flour, unsweetened cocoa, cayenne pepper (didn't add) and cinnamon, sugar, baking powder and salt (didn't add). Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add bittersweet chocolate.

Divide dough in half and transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. The dough can be sticky so coat hands with cooking spray and flour. Make logs as uniform as possible for even baking. Form each half into a 2 1/2" wide 3/4" tall log. Bake until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed, 20-25 min, rotating sheet halfway through. Let cool on wire rack, 20 minutes.

(last time I made it - I didn't divide the dough in half, but made one big log. I liked it better)
With a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/4" slices on the diagonal and arrange (I did mine about 1/2"-1"). Arrange cut side down on two parchment lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake until biscotti are crisp and golden, about 15 min, rotating sheets and flipping biscotti halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. (store in airtight container up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months)

ALMOND BISCOTTI
2 1/2 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt (didn't add)
---
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 T vanilla
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1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (spayed cookie sheet with Pam and cooked at 350 for about 5-10 min - can burn really easily - WATCH CLOSELY)

mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add almonds and beat until combined.

same is the rest as above

Made this for Christmas morning 2012.  It was good, but still like Martha Stewart recipes better.  Did like it dipped in chocolate.

Snowcapped Gingerbread Biscotti Recipe

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Snowcapped-Gingerbread-Biscotti

Snowcapped Gingerbread Biscotti Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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This recipe is one of my favorites to add to my holiday cookie trays. The cookies blend the great flavor of gingerbread and biscotti, plus a "snow"-dipped decoration. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

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Snowcapped Gingerbread Biscotti Recipe

• Prep: 45 min. + chilling Bake: 35 min. + cooling
• Yield: 30 Servings

453580

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3 eggs
• 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 cup butterscotch chips, melted
• 1 cup vanilla or white chips, melted

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, allspice and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in hazelnuts and ginger.
• Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into two 10-in. x 3-in. logs. Transfer to greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and firm to the touch.
• Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 1/2-in. slices. Place cut side down on greased baking sheets. Bake for 7-9 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• Dip biscotti halfway into melted butterscotch chips; shake off excess. Place on waxed paper until set. Dip butterscotch-coated ends partially into melted vanilla chips; shake off excess. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Nutritional Facts1 cookie equals 226 calories, 10 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 27 mg cholesterol, 83 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

BANANA BREAD

BANANA-CHOCOLATE BREAD
My family LOVES this recipe.  Came from Martha Stewart FOOD magazine. Greek yogurt will work instead of sour cream.  Can also substitute pureed cauliflower if you don't have enough bananas.  I usually do flaxseed meal for one of the eggs.  Last time I made it instead of coating the pan with flour I used cocoa.  It tasted better and worked better than flour.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan (used 1/4 c. applesauce 1/4 c. butter - couldn't taste the applesauce once it had cooled)
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan (I like to use cocoa powder instead of flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature (1 flaxseed)
• 1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (3 to 4) (can use some pureed cauliflower if you don't have enough bananas)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed. Beat in bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture and chocolate on medium. Pour batter into pan. Bake until a skewer inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
3. Let bread cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Cook's Note

Store tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days, or freeze, up to 3 months.

Chopped or Chips?
For this loaf, we like the variety of sizes we get from chopping. Tiny bits of chocolate flavor the bread beautifully, while larger ones provide big hits of deliciousness.

Kitchen Tip
If your bananas aren't quite ripe enough, put them in a 300-degree oven, unpeeled, for 15 minutes to soften.

BANANA BREAD
This recipe came from The Little Big Book for Moms.  My family liked it.  I liked the hint of lemon in it.

2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 c butter (softened)
1/2 c honey or brown sugar (used honey)
1 grated lemon peel
2 eggs (used one flax seed)
2 c banana pulp (about 3)
1 c chopped walnuts 
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl mix flour and baking powder.  In a separate bowl blend butter, honey and lemon rind until smooth.  Beat in eggs and add mixture to the flour.

Mix in banana, walnuts, nutmeg and vanilla.  Put in 9x5x3 pan and sprinkle with cinnamon. (I made the struessel topping from Deceptively Delicious pg. 50- see below) 

Bake for 1 hour.

TOPPING:
mix all together:
2/3 c old-fashioned oats
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
add:
2 T butter, melted

Sprinkle on top of bread and then bake.

Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread

http://parade.condenast.com/295951/parade/amy-grants-banana-nut-bread/

We really liked this banana bread.  So easy to make and I liked how it had such few ingredients.

Banana Nut Bread

• MAKES

  1 loaf (10 to 12 servings)

• ACTIVE TIME

  20 min.

• TOTAL TIME

  2 hr. 20 min.

• SAVE RECIPE
• PRINT

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Dash of table salt
• 4 small bananas (about 2 cups), sliced
• ½ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans - didn't add, but would be good

DIRECTIONS

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
2. Combine flour and next 2 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas and pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.
3. Place pan in a cold oven. Set oven to 300°F. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from the pan. Shield bread with aluminum foil after 1 hour to prevent browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool 30 minutes on wire rack before slicing.

THREE CHEESE AND BACON DIP

THREE CHEESE AND BACON DIP

http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/recipes/appetizers-snacks/three-cheese-and-bacon-spread.aspx

This was a must have, but good. Would make it again.

4	oz (half 8-oz package) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/3	cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1	tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2	tablespoons fat-free (skim) milk
1/8	teaspoon paprika
	Dash pepper
1/4	cup raisins
2	tablespoons real bacon bits
2	medium green onions, thinly sliced (2 tablespoons)
16	whole-grain crackers
1	large red apple, sliced

1.	In small bowl, beat cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, paprika and pepper with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
2.	Stir in raisins, bacon bits and onions until well blended.
3.	Serve spread with crackers and apple slices.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 100 (Calories from Fat 20); Total Fat 2 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg;Sodium 250mg; Total Carbohydrate 15g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 7g); Protein 5g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A4%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 8%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.