Orange Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

"I make this biscotti for my cousin's Birthday present every year.  It's delicious dipped in your morning coffee or in a glass of ice cold milk!"

Dough should resemble chocolate chip cookie dough.

Form dough into 2 rectangles on large cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or I use my silpat or silicone mat to prevent sticking. 

After first baking time, slice biscotti with a bread or serrated knife.

After slicing, lay biscotti cut-side down on baking sheet for final baking.

Semi-sweet and vanilla chips with shortening ready for melting.

Place waxed paper underneath biscotti that has been placed on cooling rack.  The waxed paper will catch chocolate that drips off biscotti when drizzling.  This will make clean-up much easier!   

Drizzle biscotti with chocolate.

Ready for munching!

RECIPE:
1 cup sugar
1 stick or 1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
3 to 3-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
6 ounces or 1/2 bag of miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter.  Add  eggs and extracts and mix until combined.  Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.  (I always start out adding only 3 cups of flour and checking to see how dry the dough is.  If the dough is too wet, then I add the other 1/2 cup of flour.)  Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide the dough into two equal portions.  Roll out each portion and shape into 10x3 inch rectangles and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool on baking sheet for 15 minutes.

Cut each rectangle crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.  Place slices cut sides down on cookie sheet.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until light golden brown.  Remove from the cookie sheet and allow to cool on wire rack.  Drizzle with Orange Almond Chocolate Drizzle (Recipe follows).

Orange Almond Chocolate Drizzle:
6 ounces or 1/2 bag of miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon orange extract

Melt chocolate chips with shortening in a saucepan on low heat.  Remove from heat and add extracts.  Drizzle over cooled biscotti.

TIP:  I have also used white chocolate chips to make a drizzle for the biscotti.  It's really yummy when you drizzle the biscotti with both kinds of chocolates!

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

"This is one of my Sister's best recipes!  We've had it on many occasions over the years.  It's my all time favorite chocolate cake!!!"

Cake:
2 sticks or 1 cup butter
5 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add cocoa powder and water.  Bring to a boil.  Pour boiling ingredients over flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.  Pour into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Allow to cool and top with frosting (Recipe follows).

Frosting:
1 stick or 1/2 cup butter
6 Tablespoons buttermilk
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 pound box powdered sugar

Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add buttermilk and cocoa powder.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and add to powdered sugar.  Mix with an electric mixer until well blended.  Spread frosting on cooled cake.

Banana Surprise Muffins With Toasted Pecan Streusel

"These Muffins have a creamy delicious filling and a sweet crunchy streusel topping!  They are SCRUMPTIOUS!!!" 

Batter

1-3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup mashed bananas, approximately 2-3 bananas

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, combine egg, milk and oil; add all at once to the dry ingredients.  Add mashed bananas.  Stir to combine.  TIP:  Stir batter just until moistened and still a little lumpy.  Don't over mix or muffins will be tough.  Prepare filling (Recipe follows).

Filling:

4 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Mix peanut butter and powdered sugar until incorporated.  

To assemble muffins:

Spray 12 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.  Fill each cup 1/3 full with batter.  Spoon on 1 teaspoon of peanut butter mixture.  Top with enough batter to fill each cup 2/3 full.  Sprinkle with Streusel (Recipe follows).

Streusel:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 Tablespoons cold butter

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted*

Combine brown sugar and flour.  Cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs.  Stir in toasted pecans.  Sprinkle streusel on top of batter.  

*TIP:  To toast chopped pecans, place in a dry skillet on medium-high heat and cook until they are a toasty brown color, about 3-5 minutes.  You will be able to smell the pecans when they are perfectly toasted.  We have also placed the pecans in the oven on a dry cookie sheet under the broiler for approximately 3-5 minutes to toast them. Whether toasting on the stove top or under the broiler, make sure to not cook at too high of a heat or for too long or the pecans will burn.  

Bake muffins at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes in muffin tin.  Remove from pan and place muffins on cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes 12 muffins.

These muffins are YUMMY served warm!

"Golden Brown Deliciousness!"