Happy holidays! I hope everyone is having a relaxing holiday and getting some quality cooking and baking time in. K and I had a strategic blog meeting earlier this month and we opted not to do our annual 12 Days of Christmas Cookies this year. December is always such a busy month and we decided we would be able to enjoy our Christmas prep without all the self-imposed deadlines. If you are still looking for some holiday baking inspiration, we have our archive of cookie recipes saved under the Christmas Cookies tag.
While we were together this year for Christmas at my parent’s home, K and I decided to make some Gingerbread Biscotti. We knew it would be perfect holiday treat to go with our morning coffee. We even used International Delight Gingerbread Latte creamer with our coffee to help meet our official holiday gingerbread quota! (Be sure to check out the the International Delight Member Delights’ program for coupons and giveaways.)
Our mom had found us this recipe for Gingerbread Biscotti and we had a lot of fun one afternoon baking together during T & N’s nap time one day. We don’t often get an opportunity to make stuff together since we live on opposite sides of the country. It’s also always a fun time writing up a blog post together- I do most of the writing and K focuses on the food styling and photography.
- 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring hands
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- A few grates of nutmeg (or a pinch of ground nutmeg)
- A pinch of black pepper
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg white
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, pepper and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the dark brown sugar, the granulated sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Add the sugar and butter ingredients to the flour and spice mixture and stir to combine.
- Separate dough into two balls. Transfer first ball to the prepared baking sheet and form it into a slightly flattened log (approximately 11 inches by 2½ inches.) Repeat with second half of dough on the other side of the baking sheet. Meanwhile, whisk egg white in a small bowl until foamy. Brush the egg white over each log.
- Bake biscotti for 25 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet. Once the biscotti has cooled down, move each log to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut the log on the diagonal into approximately ½" slices.
- Arrange slices (keeping a cut side down) on baking sheet. Bake for another 10 to 12 minutes. Turn each biscotti over and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly golden all over. Transfer biscotti to a cooling rack.
Source: Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Enjoy your last few days of 2014 and happy new year 2015!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.
Apples by the bushel have finally started showing up in my local grocery store and farmers markets. I will be the first to admit it- I’m a complete apple snob. I grew up in upstate NY, home of some of the best tasting apples around. We used to go apple picking several times each fall at our local apple orchard and I probably ate at least half a dozen apples straight off the tree each time. I have spent most of my adult life in Massachusetts and it can be a bit difficult to find really good apples around here…I find most taste like mush compared to the apples of my youth.* However, I have found a few varietals at various vendors at farmers markets that can come close to my beloved 
As we approach the end of September, our family is finally falling into the routine of our new school year. T is attending his second year of nursery school in the afternoon four days a week. We spend our mornings taking a walk, going to various activities, or running errands. After I drop T off at school, N usually naps for a couple hours which allows me to catch up around the house and sometimes even start dinner. This week, I was even able to find the time to make this Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake. I’ve been buying up apples right and left around here in the search of delicious apples and now I have an entire fridge drawer devoted to them. It’s also “Apple Week” at T’s nursery school so I knew he would love to try some apple cake for his after-school snack. 
Last year, T went to morning preschool and since N was a bit younger, he took both a morning and afternoon nap. I used to spend those school mornings doing my catch-up work which has been shifted to the afternoon. I tend to hit a wall during that post-lunch and have started using my Keurig again for an afternoon cup of coffee to keep my energy level up. Nothing pairs better with coffee than a warm, delicious slice of cake! I paired my Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake with a cup of coffee flavored with International Delight’s Sweet Cream coffee creamer. A perfect afternoon treat! 
*If I ever start a band, I am totally calling it Apples of My Youth. Don’t even try taking it. 
