"Mango-Saffron-Pistachio" Biscottis

Biscottis are one of my favorite baked goods! I love the crunchy texture that comes because of baking twice (Biscotti means twice baked cookies! ) with mild sweetness and the versatility to bake them with different flavors of choice. Here are a few of my favorites- (https://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/search/label/Biscotti)
Today I baked this new flavor combo which reminds me very much of the summers in India! The sweet warm fragrance of Mangoes is all over and everyone is trying out their favorite summertime mango recipes during the summer months.
The Italian biscotti got a very summery and warm makeover today with warm-aromatic flavors of Mango and Saffron and crunch from Pistachios. I love the flavor, color, aroma and everything about these biscottis😍 My new favorite!

Recipe:
2.5 cups All purpose flour (Plus little extra)
1/2 cup Mango Puree (I used Desai Bandhu Ratnagiri Alphonso canned puree)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (add extra for sweeter taste)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
5 tbsp Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup chopped roasted pistachios (plus some extra for top garnish)
1 Egg
2 tsp milk with 1/2 tsp saffron strands
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt

** Note: Baking sheet thickness and oven temperatures vary slightly from oven to oven. So always keep an eye on the baked goods and adjust the time as needed

1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Apply butter to baking sheet.
2) Cream together butter, salt, egg, sugar. Add mango puree and saffron in milk and mix.

3) Add flour, baking powder and chopped pistachios. Mix and knead gently into soft dough. Add little extra flour if needed. The dough will be slightly sticky. With oiled hands, form into logs and flatten them on to the baking sheet. Garnish with chopped pistachios and press on the dough.

4) Bake at 350 F for 20-25 mins. Keep an eye on the biscotti logs and don't let them brown too much on the bottom.

5) Take out from the oven and let cool for 5 mins. Slice the biscottis with a sharp serrated knife.

*** Now turn oven temperature down to 300 F for the next baking step

6) Arrange the cut biscottis on buttered baking tray and put back in the oven at 300 F for 20-25 mins till crunchy. (Again don't let them brown!)

Let them cool completely. They will crisp up more as they cool.
** If you prefers crunchier Biscottis ...Keep them at 300F for 6-8 mins more. Or Leave them in the oven for few mins after you TURN OFF the oven. They will crisp up on the residual heat of the oven.

Enjoy with your tea/coffee or as dessert! 😋

"1/2 Whole Wheat- Walnut-Cranberry" Biscotti

After an failed attempt of "Whole Wheat -Beet and white chocolate Biscottis", I finally made peace with myself and settled for a 1/2 whole wheat flour substitution!
 Failed attempt:

 I couldn't just like the texture and taste of the 'all' wheat flour biscottis. But in my opinion, 'mid-way' is better than 'no-way'!!! So here we go...a 1/2 whole wheat flour Biscotti with lots of nuts and dried cranberries!!!

Ingredients:
1.5 Cups Whole wheat flour
1.5 Cups All purpose flour
3/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
5 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3rd cup chopped dried Cranberries
2 large eggs
1/4cup olive oil or Canola oil
1and 1/4th cup granulated sugar
3tsp Baking Powder
1/4tsp salt
1tsp Vanilla essence

Method:
1) Cream together butter,oil,salt and sugar.Add the eggs and beat again till well blended and smooth
2)Preheat oven to 325F and grease a cookie sheet evenly. Otherwise the dough will stick.
3) Add rest of the ingredients to the creamed butter.Make into a soft dough.
4) Roll into logs and flatten them.

5) Bake at 325F for 25-27 min.(Check at 20 mins to see if they are done.The log will harden.But should brown too much at the bottom) Remove from oven and let cool for 10 mins.Turn the oven  down to 300F
6) Slice the baked log horizontally or at an angle with a sharp knife.

7) Place the cut-up Biscottis flat on the cookie sheet and 're bake' at 300 F for 8-10 mins until slight golden.Do not let them brown!! Remove from oven promptly.
8) Let them cool on the cookie sheet it self. Store in airtight container.

"Sweet Treats"- Cranberry-Almond-Pistachio Biscottis

Back from a great vacation to 'Put-in-Bay ,South Bass Island' in Ohio. It is a tiny little island on Lake Erie and was a great spot to spend the day with the kids. Little 'E' and 'A' had fun riding in the Golf cart on the petite roads of the island.
Now that we are back, and having being missed by my kitchen for 4 days (just kidding!)...I made these Lovely Crunchy Colorful- Cranberry-Almond-Pistachio Biscottis ( my all time favorite!!!) to warm up the oven!

I have come to love the combination of Red Cranberries and Green Pistachios...and have been using it a lot in desserts lately.I think it looks colorful and festive and makes the food 'pretty looking'!

Ingredients:
3 and 1/2 cups All purpose flour
5 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
3 large eggs
1/4cup oil
1and 1/4th cup granulated sugar
3tsp Baking Powder
1/4tsp salt
1/2 cup Chopped Almonds and Pistachios
1/3rd cup chopped dried Cranberries
1tsp Vanilla essence

Method:
1) Cream together butter,oil,salt and sugar.Add the eggs and beat again till well blended and smooth
2)Preheat oven to 350F and grease a cookie sheet evenly.
3) Add rest of the ingredients to the creamed butter.Make into a soft dough.
4) Roll into logs and flatten them.

5) Bake at 350F for 25 min. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 mins.Turn the oven  down to 325F
6) Slice the baked log horizontally or at an angle with a sharp knife.
7) Place the cut-up Biscottis flat on the cookie sheet and 're bake' at 325 F for 10-12 mins until slight golden.Do not let them brown!! Remove from oven promptly.
8) Let them cool on the cookie sheet it self. Store in airtight container.

 Dunk and enjoy this sweet- crunchy- nutty -colorful Biscottis with your favorite cup of Coffee or tea....

"Sweet Treats"- Orange- Almond Biscotti with white and dark chocolate drizzle

My First Recipe for the blog from my brand new Kitchen.It had to be Sweet.... and my favorite- -Biscotti!!!
Love Love Love Biscottis....any flavor and every flavor!!
I tried this combination of Orange and Almonds for the first time and it tasted ..just awesome!!

I found the guidelines for the recipe here....and a 'neat' idea to drizzle chocolate on the biscotti.It was pretty cool to do it this way!
http://www.lolfoodie.com/archives/2010/12/almond-orange-biscotti/

Since I modified the recipe here and there, here is how I made it:

Ingredients:
3 and 1/2 cups All purpose flour
5 Tbsps unsalted butter at room temperature
3 large eggs
1/4cup sliced almonds
1/4cup oil
1and 1/4th cup granulated sugar
3tsp Baking Powder
1/4tsp salt
2tsp orange zest
1/4cup orange juice
1tsp Vanilla essence
For Chocolate drizzle:
1/4 cup White chocolate
1/4cup Dark chocolate

Method:
1) Cream together butter,oil,salt and sugar.Add the eggs and beat again till well blended and smooth
2)Preheat oven to 350F and grease a cookie sheet.
3) Add rest of the ingredients to the creamed butter.Make into a soft dough.
4) Roll into logs and flatten them. Bake at 350F for 25 mins

5) Slice horizontally or at an angle with a sharp knife.

6) Place the cookies flat on the cookie sheet and 're bake' at 325 F for 10-12 mins until slight golden

7) Let them cool on the cookie sheet it self.
8) Chocolate Drizzle-

1) Microwave white/ dark chocolate chips in a small bowl for 20 secs. Stir and microwave again for 30 secs.
(I tried microwaving the chips in the zip lock bag as told in 'lolfoodie' recipe...but the bag bursted as I was squeezing it while piping the chocolate.)
2)  Fill the melted chocolate in a ziplock bag and press it shut

3) Cut a tiny hole in the bag corner and squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on the Biscotti

You can do white chocolate only or dark chocolate only or a combination of both ...

Dunk and enjoy this sweet crunchy Biscottis with your favorite cup of Coffee or tea....

"Sweet Treats"- Pistachio-Honey Biscotti

It's been over 9 months I haven't baked Biscotti.Since 'A' was born, life has gotten really really busy.Some friends told us before we had kids that....with 1 kid your life is 'busy' but with 2...it's 'Crazy'...and YES....I DO BELIEVE IT NOW!!!!
Anyways... today was our weekly play date for the kids, which is also a 'food date' for the moms and I decided to bake Biscottis to go along with our favorite tea!

Ingredients:
3 cups All purpose flour
1/2cup toasted Pistachios
2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup Honey
2 large eggs
1/2 stick unsalted  butter
1/4tsp salt
1and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp Vanilla extract
Cooking spray/Butter for the cookie sheets.
Some sugar to sprinkle on the biscottis after baking

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 350F
2) In a electric mixer, blend together eggs, sugar,vanilla and honey.
3) Bring butter to room temp and beat with whisk till smooth.
4)  Sift together flour,baking powder and salt. Roughly chop the Pistachios and keep aside.
5) Mix the butter with eggs -sugar- honey.Add the flour and mix together.Add the Pistachios to the dough. Form into a soft dough.Mix only till everything comes together well.Oil your hands if necessary as the dough will be sticky.
6) Form into a 'log' shape and bake on buttered cookie sheet at 350F for 25 mins( till it becomes hard on outside and golden brown). Let the log cool.

7) Bring oven temperature to 325F.
8) Cut diagonally and place cut side down on cookie sheet. Sprinkle little (1-2 pinches) sugar on cut side.Bake again at 325F for 7 mins.Turn on the other side and bake again for 7 mins.

9) Let the Biscottis cool.Store in airtight container.

            Enjoy the crunchy biscottis with mild sweet flavor with your favorite cup of Tea or Coffee!

"Sweet Treats"- Biscotti with Oats and Nuts

I love baking goodies at home.Especially Biscottis, Scones etc which we can have with our afternoon tea. Baking at home gives me the satisfaction....that I know what's exactly going in there and how much of it...I can cater the recipe to myself..make it less sweet, use less butter, add ingredients that my family likes etc etc .....
Now, I made up this recipe of Biscotti with Oats...not because 'Oats' is my families favorite...but to make them eat some oats!!! I like oats and have it for breakfast daily...but 'M' and 'E' are not oat fans at all...
These Biscottis have 'oats' and 'nuts' and are (may be) a little better for you than the ones with only 'all purpose' flour. And they tasted soooo good....crunchy, nuttier with perfect sweetness.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal (quick cooking oats)
1 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
3 large eggs
½ cup chopped roasted walnuts and almonds
4tbsp butter+1 tsp butter
2tbsp Cool whip topping
2tsp baking powder
2 pinches salt

Method:
1) Coarsely grind the oatmeal. Add 1 tsp butter and roast in microwave for 2 – 3 mins.
2) Beat 3 large eggs. Add softened (room temperature) butter and cool whip topping. Whip all together.
3) Add the all purpose flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder, chopped nuts, salt etc and make into dough.
4) Pre heat oven to 350 F
5) Roll the dough into two ‘logs’ on a greased baking sheet.
6) Bake on greased baking sheet for 20-25 mins , until lightly brown.

7) Cool the logs for 15-20 mins.
8) Slice the logs horizontally, to make ‘Biscottis’.

9) Bake the Biscottis again at 350F for 15-20 mins until crisp.

Enjoy the crunchy, nutty Biscottis with your tea or coffee..

"Sweet Treats"- Almond-Chocolate Chip Biscotti

My real introduction to 'international' cuisine,after coming to USA, happened not only due to 'Food Network' and 'eating out' for dinner,but because I started working at 'Cornell'. As in any University, we had so much diverse population in the department,that it was obvious for the cultures to be shared and intermingle. There were 'Coffee Breaks', 'Lunches at Haustorium' (Dining room of Plant Path Dept) and bringing in 'Left overs'...that exposed me to various cuisines and dishes. One of our older Custodians loved to bake.But her husband was diabetic and she did not want him to eat all that sugar..so she always brought those goodies to the Dept for 'homesick' students and us research assistants. It was amazing to see that smile on her face,when we complimented her about her baking!

I had my first 'Homemade' Biscotti in my lab at Cornell."Biscotti" is a type of Italian Cookie/Biscuit and it literally means 'twice baked' because of the way it is baked.

 One of my colleagues liked to bake and she would bring her baked goods to the lab the next day for everyone to munch.I was always fond of 'dunking' something in my tea or coffee and especially something this crunchy!So got the recipe from her to try out myself. I still have the hand written paper with the recipe she gave me. She had drawn illustrations of 'biscotti making' for me to follow. That was really nice of her! Till now, I always made Biscotti from that recipe...changing a little here and there....adding chocolate chips/cranberries/walnuts etc etc. Not that the Biscottis came out 'the best' or extraordinary but somehow I just stuck to that recipe. Today I thought of trying this new recipe from "GoodHouseKeeping".I used 'Almonds' instead of Walnuts as I did not have enough of those and reduced the amount of chocolate chips and almonds to 1/2 cup each.Other than that the recipe was pretty straight forward.

The recipe can be found here  on "GoodHouseKeeping"

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/chocolate-chip-biscotti-739

Dunk the Biscottis in your favorite Tea/Coffee and enjoy the Sweet Crunch!