Category: food

April made squash ravioli with a parmesan cream sauce. Delish.

Cooked fennel & chard under foil in the oven at 400 with olive oil in a buttered pie dish (20m). Added one sliced preserved lemon (rind only), shaved parmesan (1/4 cup), heavy cream (1/2 cup), and cracked pepper, and cooked until barely browned on top (10m). Served over orzo pasta.

Put our neighbor Per’s bag of lemons to good use with an excellent recipe for Moroccan preserved lemons found online.

Ingredients

8-10 lemons, scrubbed very clean
1/2 cup kosher salt, more if needed
Extra fresh squeezed lemon juice, if needed

Sterilized quart canning jar

Method

1 Place 2 Tbsp of salt in the bottom of a sterilized jar.

2 One by one, prepare the lemons in the following way. Cut off any protruding stems from the lemons, and cut 1/4 inch off the tip of each lemon. Cut the lemons as if you were going to cut them in half lengthwize, starting from the tip, but do not cut all the way. Keep the lemon attached at the base. Make another cut in a similar manner, so now the lemon is quartered, but again, attached at the base.

3 Pry the lemons open and generously sprinkle salt all over the insides and outsides of the lemons.

4 Pack the lemons in the jar, squishing them down so that juice is extracted and the lemon juice rises to the top of the jar. Fill up the jar with lemons, make sure the top is covered with lemon juice. Add more fresh squeezed lemon juice if necessary. Top with a couple tablespoons of salt.

5 Seal the jar and let sit at room temperature for a couple days. Turn the jar upside down ocassionally. Put in refrigerator and let sit, again turning upside down ocassionally, for at least 3 weeks, until lemon rinds soften.

6 To use, remove a lemon from the jar and rinse thoroughly in water to remove salt. Discard seeds before using. Discard the pulp before using, if desired.

7 Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Made a paste from garlic, cumin, paprika, powdered ginger, and salt – rubbed into cubed Alston Farms beef roast, left for a few hours. Threw into a pot to brown, added 1.5 cups of gingered squash soup (pureed butternut squash, leftovers).  Left to simmer for 1/2 hour, then added a handful of raisins and ~5 chopped canned whole tomatoes. Left to simmer another hour or so (got beers at 500 club). Added 5 small yellow squash, quartered, simmered for another 10 min, then 1/4 cup of kalamata olives, julienned strips of 1 freshly roasted red pepper, and julienned rind from 2 preserved lemons. Served in Sasha’s tajine over Israeli couscous (1:1.05x couscous to water).

Makes about 25 cookies.  Preheat oven to 325 F.

2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy (most important step). Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Sift dry ingredients together and stir in, mixing thoroughly. Add chocolate chips to batter and form cookies in ice-cream-scoop size balls. (Batter can be frozen in log-shape & cut for baking – just give a little more time in oven, or place in oven during pre-heating).

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until firm on edges but slightly soft in center. Cool on rack. Cookies’ natural caramel hardens and crisps on bottom as they cool – so leave for at least 5 minutes.

Smokey Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 8

2 C dried macaroni
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp paprika
3 C milk
8 oz smoked cheddar (shredded)
8 oz fontina cheese (shredded) (or more smoked cheddar / regular cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook macaroni until done (still a little firm).
Drain and set aside.
In a medium sauce pot, add butter and flour and cook for 2 min. on medium heat.
Stir in milk with a whisk.
Cook until slightly thickened (5 min.)
Add dry mustard and paprika.
Add all the cheese except 1 C.
Melt cheese in sauce and then mix in the macaroni.
Turn off the heat.
Pour macaroni in a baking dish and add the remaining cheese over the top.
Place in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 min. until lightly browned, hot, and bubbly.

Collard Greens

3 lb. collard greens
1 diced onion
2 smoked ham hocks or smoked turkey wings
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
water
salt and pepper
2 tsp vinegar
hot sauce

Clean greens by stripping the middle vein and stems. You only want the leaves.
Cut greens into bite-sized pieces and soak in water to remove dirt.
Remove from water and set aside.
In a large pot with a little oil, cook onions until soft.
Add ham hocks or turkey wings, crushed red pepper, water, and greens.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium heat and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You have to taste to see if the greens are tender. If not, cook a little longer.
Add salt, pepper, vinegar and hot sauce at the end to your liking.

Creole Chicken Gumbo

Stock:
3½ – 4 pounds chicken pieces
3 quarts water
2 outer ribs celery, with leaves
1 carrot, cut in thirds 1 medium onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt

Gumbo:
1/3 cup Crisco shortening
½ cup all purpose flour
2 10oz packages frozen okra
1 cup chopped onion
¾ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic, pressed
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
¾ teaspoon dried thyme leaves ½ teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 can (14 1/2) oz) whole tomatoes
½ pound ham, cubed
1 pound hot smoked sausage sliced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Hot pepper sauce

Serve with steamed rice

For stock, place chicken, water, celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 25 minutes, skimming foam and fat from top. Remove meat from bones and reserve. Return bones to stock. Continue simmering.
For gumbo, heat Crisco shortening in large pot. Add flour gradually. Cook and stir until medium brown. Add okra, onion, celery, green pepper. Cook and stir until okra is crisp-tender. Add green onions, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, and basil, undrained tomatoes, ham, and chicken meat. Strain stock. Stir slowly into gumbo. Cook sausage. Drain well. Add to gumbo. Simmer 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, cayenne and hot pepper sauce. Remove bay leaf before serving.
To serve, spoon desired amount of rice into individual soup bowls. Ladle gumbo over rice.

White Rice

7 cups water
3 cups uncooked long grain rice
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter

Bring water to a boil in large saucepan on medium heat. Stir in rice, salt, and butter. Cover. Lower heat to simmer. Cook about 20 minutes Remove saucepan from heat. Let stand five minutes or until remaining water is absorbed. Fluff with fork. Serve.

Vegetable Timbale

2 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, or zucchini or 2 cups corn kernels
1 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup minced shallots (about 2)
2 tbsp Madeira (optional)
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup light or heavy cream
3 large eggs
¼ cup grated parmesan

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease four 6 ounce ramekins or custard.
Steam or blanch veggies until crisp-tender
Sauté shallots
Heat cream almost until a boil, temper with and mix into eggs, beaten
Salt, pepper, and add alcohol to taste
Add cheese

Bake for {NEXT TIME, TIME IT}

Rosemary Onion Focaccia
(makes 6 round loaves approx 5 inches in diameter)

½ tbsp yeast
1 tbsp sugar
2 cups warm water
3 cups bread flour
2 3/4 cups All Purpose flour
1 tbsp salt
½ onion, sliced thinly
1½ tbsp finely chopped rosemary
½ cup of Olive oil and salt (to taste), in a bowl with a brush

Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes, to proof.

Mix in 3 cups bread flour. Mix in 1 cup of the All Purpose flour. Add salt.

Empty bowl’s contents onto a floured surface and knead in remaining flour. Knead for approximately 20 minutes.

Lightly oil a bowl and place kneaded ball of dough into bowl. Roll around to cover completely with oil. Cover bowl with moistened towel. Let rest for about 1hr15min in warm area.

Punch down dough, take out of bowl, and divide into 6 equal pieces. On a lightly oiled baking pan, place each piece (briefly kneaded and shaped).

Divide sliced onion equally and press into top of each round, flattening to approximately 1 inch. Brush each round with salted olive oil. Bake at 450 F for approx 15 minutes, or until golden around edges. Immediately brush with more salted olive oil when removed from oven.

Oatmeal Cookies

12 tbs (1½ sticks) sweet butter
a pinch to ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbs water
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional – good with raisins)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets.

Cream butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add egg and beat thoroughly. Mix in water and vanilla.

Sift together flour, cinnamon (optional), salt and baking soda; add to the egg mixture and mix well. Add oats and raisins or chips, and mix

Form cookies on prepared cookie sheets in large, round, mounds. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until edges are done but centers are still soft. Remove to a rack to cool

Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

2 cups unbleached AP flour
3 to 4 tablespoons instant coffee powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter (8 oz) cut into chunks, room temperature
¾ cup granulated white sugar
¾ cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound chocolate cut into larger-than-chocolate-chip-size chunks

Whisk flour, coffee powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Put butter in another bowl and beat, with white sugar, until fluffy. Mix in brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla, beating constantly. Mix in dry ingredients (from other bowl) slowly, then add chocolate chunks and stir to distribute equally.

You can bake cookies now, or put in a log shape in parchment or cellophane wrap in the freezer for up to two months.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a large baking pan (or more than one if smaller) and place cookies on pan, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until soft to the touch. Undercook, rather than overcook the cookies, as they will heat through while cooling.

Angel Food Cake

1 cup cake flour
1½ cups sugar
1½ cups egg whites
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift the flour with ¾ cup of the sugar. Set aside. Beat egg whites to the foamy stage. Add the salt and the cream of tartar and continue beating until the soft peak stage is reached. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the foam 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat well after each addition. Beat until the peaks of the eggs just bend over (the tops of the eggs are slightly round). Fold in the vanilla. Sift ¼ of the flour mixture over the meringue. Gently fold in the mixture with a rubber spatula, using a down-under-up-over folding motion. Use as few strokes as possible. Repeat with the other 3 parts of the flour mixture in the same way. No sugar-flour mixture should be visible in the batter. Lightly put the batter into a lightly buttered and sugared cake pan. Immediately place into preheated oven at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes until dried out.

Carrot Cake

[MUST TEST, ADD RAISINS]
4 whole eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
¾ cup oil
1 lb. Carrots, shredded
1 tsp. vanilla or orange extract
1 c+ 2 T. Flour
¼ tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 T. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt

Combine eggs, sugar, oil, shredded carrots and extract in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to carrot mixture, stirring after each addition, until all flour is well blended into batter. Bake at 375° F until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Approximately 30 mins.

Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake

Makes about 3¾ cups

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups powdered sugar
½ cup pure maple syrup
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar, syrup, and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Great Cheesecake

1½ cup wheat cracker crumbs
Walnuts, crumbled (more, merrier, and roast if possible)
¼ cup melted butter
2 8oz packages cream cheese
5 teaspoons lemon juice
1 pint heavy whipping cream
¼ cup white sugar
8oz sour cream
3 tbs crème fraiche

Crumb crackers and nuts. Mix together. Add butter slowly, thoroughly combining. Press into pie tin and bake in 350 degree oven until golden brown and aromatic. Remove and cool

In a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and lemon juice until soft. Add cream and beat until batter becomes thick. Add the sugar and continue to beat until stif. Incorporate sour cream and crème fraîche. Pour into crust and let chill for at least three hours.

Peirre Hermé’s “Chocolate Temptation”

The Sauce
1½ ripe bananas
1 ripe Haas avocado
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
Zest of ¼ lime

Peel and coarsely chop the bananas and avocado. Place all of the ingredients in the container of a blender or a food processor and whir until you have a smooth purée, scraping the sides of the container as necessary. The sauce should be creamy and thick, but not heavy. If at serving time. you think the sauce is too thick, you can thin it with a little water.

Scrape the sauce into a bowl and cover the sauce with a sheet of plastic warp, pressing the plastic against the top of the sauce to create an airtight cover (or seal in a squeeze bottle). The plastic wrap will help keep the sauce from turning black, a natural problem with both banana and avocado. Chill until needed.

The sauce can be made early in the day and kept refrigerated until needed.

The Bananas
2 ripe bananas
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs sugar

Peel the bananas and cut them on the diagonal into slices about 1.4 inch thick. Toss the slices in the lemon juice to keep them from discoloring.

Melt the butter in a large skillet, preferably one with a nonstick finish. Turn the heat up to high, add the bananas, and sprinkle them with the sugar. Cook, turning the bananas, for about 2 minutes, until they are lightly caramelized on both sides; remove the pan from the heat.

Ideally the bananas should be cooked just before the cakes go into the oven or even while the cakes are in the oven, so that they can be served warm. However, if it’s more convenient, you can make the bananas a few hours ahead, store them uncovered at room temperature, and either reheat them in the skillet before serving or serve them at room temperature.

The Cakes
1 stick unsalted butter
1 sliver habañero or Scotch bonnet pepper
4¾ oz bittersweet chocolate (preferably Valrhona Manjari) finely chopped
1 large egg, at room temperature
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tbs sugar

Center a rack in the oen and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter six 4 oz ramekins and dust the insides with sugar; tap out the excess sugar and place the cups on a baking sheet.

In a small saucepan or a microwave oven, melt the butter with the sliver of hot pepper; remove the pepper from the butter and discard. Melt the chocolate in the microwave oven or in a bowl over, but not touching, simmering water. Cool both the butter and the chocolate until they measure 104 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

In a medium bowl, gently stir together the egg, yolks, and sugar with a small whisk. Whisk only until the sugar is blended into the eggs, and take care not to beat air into the mixture. Gently stir in the melted chocolate little by little and then the butter, again little by little. You’ll have a smooth, glossy ganache.

The ganache can be used now or it can be stored, covered airtight, in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. If you’ve refrigerated the chocolate mixture, bring it back to room temperature by warming it in the microwave oven or over a pan of simmering water before proceeding.

Pour the ganache into the prepared molds and bake for 10 minutes without opening the oven door. Resist the temptation to bake these any longer – even thought their tops will be just slightly dull and their centers will shimmy and the slightest shake, this is the way they’re suppose to be. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside while you arrange the plates – the cakes need to be served just minutes from the oven.

Surround with sauce, fan with bananas, and top with orange tuiles (next).

Orange Tuiles

Grated zest of 1 orange
½ cup (slightly rounded) sugar
2 tbs all purpose flour
2½ tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
7 tbs unsalted butter, melted

Put the orange zest and sugar in a medium bowl and rub them together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy, and very aromatic (signs that the orange zest has release its essential oils and the sugar has absorbed them.) Add the remaining ingredients one by one, mixing them into the dough with a rubber spatula. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the dough, and refrigerator overnight before baking.
(Wrapped airtight, the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week)

To Bake

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Have at the ready one or two nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheets and a large sheet of parchment paper to hold the cookies after they’ve baked .

To shape perfectly round cookies, you need to create a template. From a large plastic top, such as the type that comes with yogurt, cottage cheese or ice cream, cut out an interior circle that is 2¾ to 3 inches in diameter; leave the rim intact. (You can make attractive tuiles without this template, but you won’t be guaranteed that each cookie will be of uniform thickness and therefore that they will bake evenly.)

For each tuile, drop ½ tsp of dough onto the baking sheet(s), leaving about 4 inches of space between each dollop. (You’ll probably be able to put 9 cookies on each sheet.) If you’re using a template to shape the tuiles, position the template flat against the baking sheet so that the dollop of dough is in the center of the circle and, using a small metal icing spatula (an offset spatula is best), spread the dough across the template; lift off the template. Scrape whatever dough remains on the template back into the bowl and continue until all the cookies on the sheet have been shaped. If you’re not using a template, just place the dollops of dough on the baking sheet – they’ll spread and flatten more as they bake. It’s best to bake one sheet at a time, so if you’ve spread dough on two sheets, keep one sheet in the refrigerator while you bake the other.

Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes, during which time the batter will spread and bubble, forming a honeycomb patter. The cookies are done when they are golden brown, and they need to be removed from the baking sheet immediately. Using a large metal spatula (a pancake turner is ideal), carefully work the blade under each cookie and, taking care not to let the cookie crumple on itself, lift it onto the piece of parchment paper to cool – the cookies will cool almost instantly. (If you put these cookies on a rack they’ll stick to the rack. If you want the cookies to be curved, instead of putting them on parchment, drape them over a wine bottle or rolling pin. Repeat with the second baking sheet and then the remaining dough, always remembering to put the dough on a cool baking sheet.

Tarte Tatin

For 8 servings:

6¼ oz flaky (puff) pastry dough
½ cup butter
1¼ cups granulated sugar
2¾ pounds tart cooking apples (Granny Smiths etc.,) peeled, cored, and halved

On a floured table, roll out the dough 1/16” thick into a 10” circle. Place the dough on a plate and prick it with a fork. Refrigerate, while you prepare the apples.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a cake or pie pan, or round cast iron enameled dish around 9½” wide and 2” high, melt the butter and sugar on top of the stove, then place the apples in the dish very close together. Continue cooking very slowly until the sugar begins to caramelize. This should take about 20 minutes and the apples should soften considerably. The caramel should be very light in color.

Put the dish in the oven for 5 minutes, then cover the apples with the rolled out flaky dough. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees and continue baking for 20 minutes or until the pie crust looks done.

Once cooked, turn the dish over on a serving platter. Serve the tart warm.

Pecan Pie

Line the pie pan with pastry and crisp the edge.

Pie Crust

1 stick butter
½ teaspoon salt
2cups flour
2 egg yolk
1tablespoon cold water

Put all ingredients in a food processor except water, pulse until just combined (and no more). Add the water and process until it will turn into a ball. Gather all the dough and refrigerate.

Pie Filling

1 cup pecans, halved or broken
2 eggs
1 cup dark syrup or sorghum syrup
1½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or rum
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoon butter

Sprinkle the nut meat over the pastry. Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Stir in syrup, sugar flavoring and salt. Pour over the nutmeat and dot with butter. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on the rock.

Plum Pie

½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
2 eggs separated
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ tsp. Almond or vanilla

12 plums
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
Butter for dotting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cream butter with sugar. Add egg yolk. Beat in the rest of the ingredients except for egg white and flour. Fold in beaten egg whites. Gently fold in the flour, a little at a time. Add fruit on top. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Dot with butter. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Serve it warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Strawberry Shortcake

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 tablespoon sweet butter chilled
½ light cream
Sweet butter softened for topping
6 cup strawberry sliced sugared
1½ cup heavy cream
12 perfect strawberries

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sift the flour sugar salt and baking powder together into a mixing bowl. Cut in the 4 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles oats. Pour in cream and mix gently until just blended. Roll dough out on a floured worked surface to a thickness of 5/8 of an inch. Cut into 3-inch circle with a cookie cutter. Gather the scraps, roll again and cut more rounds, you should have 6 rounds. Bake shortcake on a greased baking sheet for about 10 minutes or until puffed. Cool the biscuits slightly, split them, and spread softened butter lightly over the surface. Spoon the sliced strawberry and crown with the tops of biscuit. Whip chilled cream and spoon a dollop onto each short cake, garnish with single perfect strawberry. Serve immediately.

Pandesal [UNTESTED FROM YOLIE]

Combine in a measuring cup:

1 cup lukewarm water
1 package yeast
2 tablespoon sugar

Let sit for about ten minutes, the mixture will begin to form on top. In a bowl combine the yeast mixture with:

2½ cup to 3 cups of flour
½ tsp. Salt
1 tablespoon butter

Form a sticky dough. Turn the dough out on a counter, adding a little flour only if it becomes too sticky to handle. The less flour and the sticky the dough the lighter the finished buns will be. Knead the dough for about five minutes or until smooth and elastic. Return the dough to bowl, cover with a damp towel and let it rise in a a warm place for about an hour or until it double the size. You cam place the bowl of dough in an unlit oven with another bowl of very hot water along side it.

Punch down the dough, turn it out on the counter and form it into long roll about 2 inches wide. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into one inches slices and arrange the slices , cut side up, in an ungreased baking sheet dusted with bread crumbs on top. Cover the sheet and let the pandesal rise again until it double for about 45 minutes.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. When I made pandesal I found that it would not brown on top. So after the first 15 min. I flipped all the buns upside down.

Pecan Diamonds

Sweet Dough Crust

½ sheet pan
6 tablespoon butter
¼ cup confectioner sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

In a food processor, cream butter; add sugar ,add flour until crumbly. Pat into a pan Prebake until light brown. Cool.

Caramelize Pecan Layer

1 lbs. Brown sugar
4 oz granulated sugar
¾ lbs honey
1 lbs. Butter
2 lbs. Pecan pieces
4 oz. Heavy cream

In a heavy pot on low to medium heat stir brown sugar, granulated sugar and honey until caramelized. Add butter, stirring until the mixture is back to caramelized consistency. Add heavy whipping cream stirring until cream disappears. Pour and spread evenly into cooled sweet crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. Cut into diamonds shape pieces.

Chocolate Dip

¾ lbs. Bittersweet chocolate

Melt chocolate and dip half the diamond bar and cool completely on parchment paper

Anise Flavored Biscotti

Makes 42 servings

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon anise extract, or 3 drops anise oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar and anise flavoring until well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. Divide dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your cookie sheet. Place roll onto the prepared cookie sheet, and press down to 1/2 inch thickness.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. When the cookies are cool enough to handle, slice each one crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes on each side. Slices should be lightly toasted.

Double Chocolate Biscotti

Makes about 36 servings.

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in cocoa and baking powder. Beat for 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in flour by hand. Mix in white chocolate and chocolate chips. Cover dough, and chill for about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Divide dough into two parts, and roll each part into a 9 inch long log. Place logs on lightly greased cookie sheet, about 4 inches apart. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool for one hour.
Cut each loaf into 1/2 inch wide diagonal slices. Place slices on an un-greased cookie sheet, and bake at 325 degrees F for 9 minutes. Turn cookies over, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Sweet Crepe Batter

4½ cups ap flour
A few drops vanilla extract
5-6 beaten eggs
pinch of salt
3¼ cups milk
1 cup water
Small glass rum, Cognac, Calvados or Grand Marnier
3 tbs melted butter
½-1/3 cup water or milk

Mix flour with vanilla, eggs, and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Flavor with rum, or Grand Marnier. Add melted butter and leave the batter to stand for two hours to overnight. Thin the batter out with the water or milk and cook.