Ahhh, more snow.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

I obviously cannot change the fact that it is snowing, even though I am completely ready to see my daffodils peeking their heads through the cold earth.  I am going to choose to use a bit of wisdom to recognize the "difference", quit my whining, smile, and......bake bread. :)

10- Grain Sandwich Bread,



made with 10-grain cereal and a little left over mashed potato for a nice moist crumb.  It also has pumpkin seed, raw sunflower seeds and flax seeds mixed in.  It is really good toasted. Trust me.

Rosemary Potato Bread

I wish you were in my kitchen and could smell this. Fresh rosemary gently perfumes the entire loaf.  I also used biga, a starter, that adds a wonderful depth to the flavor.  It is amazing fresh out of the oven with its nice crispy crust (not the kind that rips up the roof of your mouth).  I brushed it with a little olive oil right before putting it in to bake and voilà!

While I am enjoying my snowy day I might as well dig in and celebrate Fat Tuesday!

Pralines anyone?

Sweet salty yumminess wrapped around whole pecans.

Jumbalya for dinner. Bring your mask and beads!

For my GF friends

I have been slow to post this one, sorry about that. Friend security, perhaps...you know, like job security. You are all worth it and I know you love me. Either that or you would just rather have me make them?  This is my version of a Mandelbrot, which is a sort of Jewish twice baked cooky.  Yes, that is how you spell cooky. Recall your elementary language arts class and the rule for pluralization.  What do you do to "y"? Change it to "ie" and add an "s".  I agree, it looks funny. 

Gluten Free Cinnamon Biscotti with Chocolate

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs, preferrably Free Range Organic
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (a must in GF baking, if you do not use it here your cookies will fall apart)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend (Gluten Free Mama Almond Blend is a wonderful option)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon (I prefer a good quality such as Saigon Cinnamon - Costco carries it)
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup good quality dark chocolate or semi-sweet chips (I prefer Ghiradelli 60% cocoa - chopped into smaller pieces)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Begin by chopping the chocolate - set aside. Combine baking powder, xanthan gum, GF flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk to mix well. In a large bowl combine the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and salt - stir well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well until no flour pockets remain. stir in the chocolate and nuts.  The batter will look wetter than a normal cookie dough, this is normal for GF batter.  I find it helpful to let it sit for about 5 minutes to allow some of the moisture to be absorbed by the flours.  If the batter looks really runny add another 1/4 of a cup of your flour blend and stir well. It will be sticky but it should be able to hold its shape when you put it on the baking sheet.

Divide the dough in half and use each half to form a flat log about 10 inches long and 4 inches wide.  Bake in a 350°F for 25 minutes.  Remove baking sheet from oven and turn temperature down to 325°F.  Let the logs cool for about 10 minutes and then slice carefully into 1 inch slices with a long knife.  Gently turn each cookie onto its cut side and place baking sheet back into the oven for and additional 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and allow cookies to cool.  Store cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze for several months.  These make great gifts, just ask my friends! :)  As well, these biscotti are a wonderful way to start your morning with a cup of coffee.

Enjoy!