Candy Cane Biscotti

Source: Tracey's Culinary Adventures

For this coming red and white season, I believe everyone will love Candy Cane Biscotti. The red swirl in the buttery cookies  bring you into a Christmassy taste and the hints of peppermint flavour throughout the bite will surprise you, for sure!  I followed the recipes as close as possible, but improvised and altered the method along the way. I reckon  this is why I have so much fun in baking: get to make judgement call in a jiffy (the most!) to make sure I am getting a successful result as I hate to see the waste of the ingredients. And even if I fail, I know I tried, no regret.

Anyway, you get to access the main source at the end of this post. Apparently this recipes is contagious, Since 2005!

Candy Cane Biscotti
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature [ I used about 113.5g of French butter]
• 1/2 cup sugar [ I used 100g of sugar]
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup crush peppermint candy canes [I used 6 candy sticks], plus extra for garnish 
• 14 oz white chocolate

Methods: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F [approx. 175° C]. Line a baking sheet with grease paper or a silicon baking mat.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir briefly with a fork to combine.  In the another bigger bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one a time, mixing well after each addition.  
3. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Fold in the 2/3 cup crushed peppermints with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
4. Place the dough entirely into the baking tray with grease paper, as I can't divine the dough into 4 portion as per the original recipes
5. Bake until the log of cookies are light golden brown on top, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove the tray from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325° F.
6. After the log have cooled for 10 minutes, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the logs into ½-inch slices on the diagonal or like me, cut it straight and square (discard ends, if you want).  Arrange the cut pieces on the baking sheet, laying on one of their cut sides so one cut side is facing up.  Bake for 15 minutes more, until the cookies are light golden brown and crisp.  (They may seem a bit soft, but will firm as they cool.)  
7. Extra step for me: Continue to third baking by turning the cookies to the other side of the cut sides for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
8. Once the biscotti have cooled, melt the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler.  Dip one half of each cookie in the chocolate, shake gently to remove the excess, and transfer to a baking sheet or work surface lined with wax paper.  Sprinkle with extra crushed candy canes while the chocolate is still wet.  Let stand at room temperature until the chocolate has set completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Original Source From Annie's Eats.

Looks like my knife isn't sharp enough (I mistrust it). But it tastes good, frankly speaking. Together with the chocolate cupcakes, I give some of the biscotti away as Christmas gift. 

"It's yummy. The sweetness of the biscotti are just nice to be dipped in coffee or tea." One were surprised when I told her I used candy cane=). "No wonder I tasted mints!" 

Nice to give surprise, isn't it? 

Have a joyous holiday, all!

*This post is part of the Festive Fare Blogtrain hosted by Dinomama. 

The Festive Fare Blogtrain isn't going to stop here. Hop over to Jean's blog tomorrow as she will be sharing how she cooks a simple yet delicious Beef Pasta. Jean is a happy wife and a homeschooling mum to 2 kids who love fabric, sew, craft, bake, strawberry shortcake, taking pictures under the sunny island. She also shares her thoughts over at her facebook page.

Dec 2012: Let's Sprinkle!

We are getting a little bit more into Christmas now (a bit more busier too). 

I made lots of cupcakes with this recipes for giving out as gift to friends and colleagues. What's more? I got the girls to help me to decorate one of the batch I made. 

For the very first time, I have two helpers! I was a little disordered, to be honest. From melting the chocolate for creaming purpose, distributing the tasks of putting the sprinkles and directing the girls, to taking picture of one big achievement we had and of course, giving warning and yawning. 

Little Bomber had fun and was concentrating to attempt in doing a good job as per my instruction. She looked beautifully when she is concentrating to something.

Credits: JM's Designs, FeiFei's Stuff and Michelle Coleman.

And you can tell from the picture of the cupcakes, which are done by who=). Both did wonderfully, if you ask me, and I gifted them away, proudly.

 *This post is linking up with Fun for Free by Gingerbread Mum.

Feb 2011: C. N. Y.

Credits: LDD_Michelle Coleman

Inspiration: Pink and Orange Theme from Layla's Party:)

Missy at 60 months old: wholly good time

SC and I were overwhelming by the children's laugh and quip.

when they read us as their mate;

where one of them told me that,

"I am very busy because I have to go for ballet and Chinese theater class, you know?"'

when one was sitting on SC's lap,

wanting to learn to press the button to snap,

while the other one wanting to be snapped.

I reckon 5 years old is a huge milestone to these young ladies and men.

The birthday celebration began

with the great assistance from Teacher Irene and Liang Lao-shi.

I was just carried little bomber, sang the birthday song,

ate the left over cake from hy and mingled with the children:).

Here is Leroy, the other birthday boy, showing interest into the cupcakes.

Rather than junk food party bag,

cupcakes were ordered and given as a surprise to the children.

she... probably enjoying her self in distributing the cupcakes.

Chirpy girls on cupcakes with different design:

tiara, car, flowers, heart shape, ribbon or bird.

Proud little young man with his cupcake (well, ya. didn't focus correctly)

Party bag from Leroy which I saw beaming faces immediately.

We were as jolly as the children. Really!

credit: stamp frame from "tout simplement" by Elisabeth MEY

our tree is up!

I get tired easily these days.

Nevertheless, I managed to have something to fill my twosome time with little bud. SC returned to Kulim/Penang for a wedding invitation last weekend.

Thanks to Evelyn for sharing this link: Christmas Tree Wall Decoration. It was fun making it.

source

I managed to grab her interest from paper selection in the morning to cutting and folding the papers during night time while we were watching the movie UP. With her little helps and noise, I almost gave up of folding 20 pieces of reds and greens.

I was drained thereafter and had a great sleep.

But after putting everything up to the wall and looking at her smile, it worth the effort!
she did not forget to tell daddy that, the tree is a 'surprise' to celebrate his return.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

新年快乐

Back in Kulim, both SC and I were extremely busy before the first day of Chinese New Year (26 Jan). Mostly were cleaning up our vacant house there. Hence the actually Big Day (大年初一) became our rest day. Thank goodness MIL did all the cooking and praying part.

So what is Chinese New Year then? Especially for little HY.

learnt to say: "恭喜发财，红包拿来！" *grin*

SC had his annual gathering of old classmates on second day(年初二), visited his aunt (伯母) and cousin (堂哥) in Padang Serai on third day (年初三). Then a big reunion on forth day(年初四). When MIL's sister (was HY's babysitter for 3 months) and family all came to visit us.

At night, More relatives came. Hy said, "so many people~!'

Little Hy was mingle around pretty well with the cousins, though she was anxious to see new faces around in her house.

We had 'makan' (eat) and 'minum' (drink) and laughter. Truly happy to see them get- together and talked about those good old days and others. SC and them were staying under one roof where his grand-father (MIL's father) was the Man of the family (like the one in tv drama show) and an owner of a well-known kopitiam (cafe) in the main street of Kulim (those days was like one busy street town).

Don't ask me who is who, I could only recognise some of them. But I know the relationship clearly. Somehow, to make things less complicated, some one came out the idea of lining up the adults (who will giving the angpows to children) and get all children to queue and learn to call the uncles and aunties correctly (in Chinese, of course) while getting the angpows:).See little Hy with many question marks on her face...

She called her du-du. Don't know why couldn't pronounce the term 姑姑 (gugu).

Will do this exercise (calling who is who) again next New Year:).

She concluded her self of this night: favourite gor-gor (表哥哥) and jiejie (表姐姐). Du-du (姑姑) and du-chang (姑丈) at the back.

I thank them for warming our house (存人气) once a year since it is vacant now.

handmade soap

I did what mama Ade taught step by step... except the glitter part. Looking around my limited resources and time, i replaced with pandan leave inside the soap, at the very last minutes of thought.

Outcome is, the small little piece of pandan leave smell is stronger than the lavender essential oil.

credits: paper from Amy Sumrall & Michelle Coleman, present doodles fr Angelica, stamp fr Heidi Williams (W&W).

Ingredients: glycerine soap, food colouring, surgical spirits, lavender essential oil, pandan leave

Thank you mama Ade for her kind sharing:).

simply Christmas

My daughter and I simply enjoyed this Christmas. She learnt and had fun...

credits: paper fr Bohemian Art, frame fr Joanne Bain Designs, alpha fr Heidi Williams & brush fr Heidi Williams(W&W), christmas tree fr Michelle Coleman (LDD).

Thanks to Mama Ade and 4malmal's inspiration, we made soap as gifts to my colleagues and she painted her own Christmas tree for our new house this year.

I am nailed the image as stingy mum, i know. but in both do-it-yourself way of welcoming a festive, I see a pure childhood of my old days in her, simply fun, interestingly, creatively. I believe so, jolly. And I think I manage to reduce shopping (again) and hopefully earth friendly as well.

I wish I can repeat this simplicity to her again in next festive, next Christmas.
anyhooo... I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

credits: paper fr Angelica E., embellishment fr Lori Barnhurst & brush from Heidi Williams

(to be continued...btw, im sorry for late posting of this entry, i thank & love the comments in my previous entry and just realise that i have been posting food for this whole month, unbelievable...)