Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

This is my 8 year Christmas tradition.
One afternoon I just devote only to making these.
Because I cook and craft with reckless abandon,
the process is a bit intense.. ( read "messy") but
well worth it!

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Makes about 5 dozen..

3 cups sugar
2 sticks soft butter
4 large eggs
4 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt ( more if you use unsalted butter)
6 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole raw pistachios
1 3/4 cups dried cranberries

big bag good quality chocolate chips.

position racks in the center of the oven and preheat to 325.
Get the really big bowl. This is a big batch. Cream butter and sugar and then add in eggs one at a time.
Mix in orange peel, baking soda and salt. Mix in 3 cups of flour and the nuts and fruit.
mix in the last three cups of flour, 1/2 a cup at a time until you have it all in there.
The dough will be crumbly looking.

(Messy part # 1:)
Flour that counter top and divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
Shape into long long rectangular loaves by pressing by hand until they hold their form.
These should be maybe 3x9.. They will expand when you bake them,
so only two per ungreased cookie sheet please. I tend to slide them off the edge of the counter onto the sheets and
reform them once they are in place.

Bake for about 55 minutes.. checking halfway to be ceratin they are cooking evenly and rotating if necessary.
They will be golden and feel firm when you tap on the tops when they are done.

Leave that oven on.

Cool the logs for 15 minutes on the sheets and then using an assistant or big spatulas transfer to a cutting board.

(Messy part # 2/ with crumbs) Slice into 1 inch slices with a sharp serated knife, and put them back on the cookie sheets. Back into the oven for 10 minutes per side.
(I do a little less these days, because I like a semi-tender biscotti) Transfer to racks and let cool completely.


(Messy part # 3/ with gooey chocolate)
I melt my chocolate chips in the microwave in batches. I melt for 1 minute for a cup of chips. They should need to be stirred to get them smoothly melted. You want them as cool as possible and still melted to be "tempered". That way they will look glossy on the cookies. This doesn't always happen but they taste great anyway. Smear on on side of the cookie with a rubber spatula and let harden..
repeat 5 dozen times.

eat all the broken ones standing up in the kitchen.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

I was suddenly knocked upside the head with my holiday to do list.
It was like being run over with a truck load of tinsel.

Hopefully I can get the Biscotti post up tomorrow?
Tonight I am going to bed early,
even though I suspect I have fudge smudges in my hair.

Gratuitous Decor Shots....

The Halls are Decked, Ya'll.

Wednesday: The Biscotti Recipe.

Frost Fairy with Tutorial

This is what I call a cheap and cheerful craft.
Everything you need may be laying about..
it takes about 5 minutes to make these cuties
and 5 bucks will probably make you 20 of them...
which would look so cute in a flock...




What you need:
white pom poms in 2 or 3 sizes
black seed beads
the tiniest amount of orange fimo or sculpey
white feathers
thread and beading needle
white glue

First make the tiniest carrots you can imagine, out of your polymer clay of choice. Bake according to directions, but maybe for less time, because these are TINY..



Next, sew the 3 pom poms together.. trim if you need to to get the shape right... but don't cut off the thread.



Then stich back through the poms and come out where you would like an eye. Thread on a bead and stitch in place.




Now push the needle out where you would like a button.. add on bead.. then back up for a second eye.. back down for a second button.. When all your beads are applied stich through the whole snowman a couple of times to secure. If you are hanging your fairy, come out of the back of the middle pom pom and leave the thread long.

Glue your arms in place with a bit of white glue. Mine are a piece of broom straw. It is hard to find a real stick small enough, they tend to look like logs.) Apply to the stick, not the pom pom itself, to keep it from getting stiff. Do the same with the carrot nose: dip in glue, glue on face.



Next, make the wings by trimming a feather to about 1 inch long...





Pull off any excess fuzzy..



and glue in place behind the sticks..



Voila.




Have fun. Leave a link on comments if you make any.. I would love to see.

lost and found.

I am so sorry for what the Kim family lost.

I hope that peace, love and solice can be found.

Holiday Ho-down Me Me

Took up the me-me challenge on this one.

Got it from the darling (look at that baby picture) PAMKITTYMORNING and laughed til a candy cane flew out of my nose at Happy Zombie.. First time to her blog.. but I will return!

chiggedty check em out!! And let me know if you are hopping on this bandwagon.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Coffee is a staple, ladies.. I assume that the question is what do I put in my coffee? Make mine a mocha. The hub gets the egg nog latte

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
wraps. Although when I was a kid my littlest sister refused to believe that Santa had come because he wrapped in my mom's paper. She was 3. You should have seen my mom squirm. After that we left out milk, cookies, carrots for reindeer AND paper.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colored on the tree. I know I am a tacky whore. I dress tastelessly too. My classy sisters do white. I ( being less sophistcated) am drawn to the "preeetttty colors".

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Umm.. I am a whore. So if I can find some I generally hang it. But I may switch to the X-rated DVD like Happy Zombie.. sounds fast acting and long lasting.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Depends. The Hub is Jewish... so this year they are already up because we will spend Xmas at my mom's and the weekend before at his mom's, eating the latkes, which will seriously limit my tree time. When Hannukka ( or is that Chanukka) falls after Xmas and/or I am hosting the festivites I will put it off a week to give the house a week off from hard care decor.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
STUUFFFFFFINNNGGGGG!!!! What is that? herbs and bread and a stick of butter per spoonful.. Dang, what is not to love?

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
My mom never let us look at the tree until we were dressed, after breakfast. The tree was in the same big room as the breakfast table and we were seated with our backs to it and were escorted to our seats, eyes covered. If we looked, a present would disappear. The adults sat across from us, carring on about what they could see " Oh my goodness, who do you suppose that big one is for??" etc) , having extra coffee, torturing us.

Anticipation. It is the thrill that kills.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember. But we never discussed it with my mom. We played along until I had a kid of my own. At 27. How's that for milking it?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Never!!! Unless it is a new pillow or PJs.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
With lots of animal ornaments and a collection of the german glass numbers, glass icicles, and all the goodies from Jacob's Crafts of Christmas past.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it.. It never falls here so we take it on as a field trip.

12. Can you ice skate?
Like you would not believe. Speed skater though.. Not Ice dancing. That is for sissies.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
3 years ago my step dad passed along a big hunk of his inheritance so each of his daughters were able to buy a house.
He gave us security, and homes to raise our kids in, and taught us again, what generosity can mean.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Being with our families and friends.. and all the preeeetttty colors.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
My incredibly superior biscotti.. I will be sharing a tutorial.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
That horrible anticipation thing. Now i do it to my kid.. But he gets his stocking in his PJ's, so we softened it up a bit.

17. What tops your tree?
A moon for the solstice..( Go pagan tree worshippers!!)

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
Giving.. But getting a really good ( thoughtful, meaningful,tear jerking) gift is good too.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song (s)?
I want a Hippo-Potamus For Christmas.. and Adeste Fideles... and Father Christmas by the Kinks.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Good a swizzle sticks for the bevvies. But I dig my mints with chocolate.