D is for Dinner: December 2010 Archives

Who knew that something as trendy as biscotti dates back to the Roman legions? In its seafaring guise it was gnawed on by sailors who called it hardtack.Today it's an Italian cookie you buy in a coffee shop for a lot more than it costs to make...

And biscotti has its seasonal side too. Today on D is for Dinner we're learning how to make candy cane biscotti. Marion May is the woman behind the Barrhaven Bites  blog. You can find her candy cane biscotti recipe below, and more on her blog.

Candy Cane Biscotti

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes (To crush the candy canes use the largest candy canes you can find and crush them in a food processor. Or, you may put them in thick plastic bag or between two pieces of wax paper and crush them them with a hammer or rolling pin. Use large candy canes because it takes forever to remove the plastic wrap from the small ones)

For glaze (optional)

• ¼ cup crushed candy canes
• ¼ cup red decorating icing, warmed (or mix together ½ c icing sugar with 1-2 tsp milk and a few drops red food colouring)

Heat oven to 350 F. Combine butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer at medium speed, or vigorously by hand, until the mixture is creamy-scraping down the bowl frequently. Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Set aside and remove beaters from mixture. In a separate bowl stir together well, flour and baking powder. By hand, with a wooden spoon, stir flour mixture into sugar mixture and mix very well. Stir in crushed candy canes. (Knead in with your hands if necessary.) On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into fourths. With lightly floured hands, shape each fourth into a 9 x 1 1/2 inch round log. Place logs three inches apart onto a large, parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 18 minutes or until tops are cracked and ends just start to turn light brown. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325 F. Cool logs for 10 minutes on cookie sheet. (NO more than 10 minutes or they will become very hard and you won't be able to slice them!) Carefully remove logs to a cutting board. With a sharp serrated knife (bread knife) cut each log into 1/2 inch slices [Discard ends] Arrange pieces on same cookie sheet, cut-side down.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once at half-time (6-7 min), or until cookies are light golden brown and crisp on both sides. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool completely. Makes 24 biscotti. (Keep parchment lined sheet to re-use for the glazing stage, if you wish.)
Optional glaze:
Place cooled biscotti on lined baking sheet. Mix together ½ c icing with 1 to 2 tsp milk and a few drops red food colouring to a drizzling consistency. With a fork, drizzle glaze over top in a zigzag pattern over the biscotti. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over top. Allow glaze and topping to set before storing in an airtight container for up to one month, or freeze for several months.

Cantaloupe Bread with Praline Glaze, from Causeway Work Centre's Krackers Katering

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 cups cataloupe -- peeled, seeded and pureed
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Topping:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1-2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325F.

Lightly grease and flour 2 loaf pans.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla and cantaloupe.

In separate bowl, sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger.

Stir flour mixture into cantaloupe mixture.

Pour batter into pans.

Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into centre of loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile...

Combine butter and brown sugar. Microwave for 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Pour sauce over bread and let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Wednesday on the show we talked to Steph Legari. If his name isn't familiar, you might recognize his face -- Steph is better known as the "Grilling Gourmet" on his Rogers TV series. And Steph is serious about grilling. So serious, in fact, that his fires up the BBQ all year round, even in sleet and snow and bone-chilling temperatures. Tune in below to hear Steph's tips on keeping the grill going all season long.