Cinnamon Apple and Cream Cheese Filled Mardi Gras King Cake

I have always, always, always loved King Cake for Mardi Gras!  With today, "Fat Tuesday", being the last official day of Mardis Gras in the States and Carnival around the world . . . I have just sunk my teeth into a divine King Cake like no other!  This cake has a cinnamon apple filling combined with cream cheese and topped with an icing.  Of course the beautiful finale is the traditional green, yellow, and purple colored sugars sprinkled on top.

I seriously blew my diet with this cake!  And warm straight out of the oven, it was irresistable.  Thank goodness there is tomorrow to start all over again!

This ring-shaped confection is rich in tradition, especially known for it's shape, color and taste.  I always look forward to seeing how other bakers incorporate the trademark decorations on the cake:  the colored sugars in the royal hues of purple (justice), green (faith), and gold (power), that honor the three kings who visited the Christ child on Epiphany, the last day of the 12 Days of Christmas.

The round circular shape symbolizes the circular route taken by the three kings to confuse King Herod who was attempting to follow the wise men so that he could kill the Christ child.

King Cake originated in Europe and is also known as Twelfth Night Cake because it is always prepared during the period between the Twelfth Night of Christmas (January 6) and Ash Wednesday.

The King Cake was brought over to America and is a New Orleans tradition in which a small plastic baby honoring Jesus is baked inside and shared with others to enjoy. It is considered good luck to come upon the person who gets the slice with the baby in it and whom also must host the next Mardis Gras party with the King Cake.   This person is also declared the king or queen of the party.  After the plastic baby is discovered, you are to place the honorable toy baby on the top of the cake for all to see and think of Jesus.  What a fun and delicious tradition!

Many King Cake recipes have a cream cheese filling and some recipes don't, but recipes also abound with a cinnamon-apple filling along with cream cheese.  You can also add raisins and nuts if you like.  The cake is often braided and flavored with cinnamon.  Sweeter and fancier King Cakes with rich fillings are the trendier rage currently, so I had to try one.  In fact, an increasing variety of incredible fillings become available each year, especially in New Orleans where one might think that bakeries try to outdo each other!  Traditionalists can still enjoy the rather plain original cakes with just colored sugar sprinkled on a light icing on top and still indulge in a delicious treat.  But I don't need to describe how incredible the cinnamon apple and cream cheese filling combination is, so I hope you'll try this recipe!

Hope you enjoyed your Mardi Gras or Carnivale celebrations!

Cinnamon Apple and Cream Cheese Mardi Gras King Cake

Cinnamon Apple Filling

2 tablespoons butter

2 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the apple slices, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, just until the apple starts to soften, 3 to 4 minutes (the slices should still be crisp). Remove from heat and stir in the raisins and toasted pecans. Spread the apple mixture onto a baking sheet to stop the cooking process and allow the apples to cool quickly, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons sugar

1/2 beaten egg (save the other half egg to make the egg wash for the cake)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese with the vanilla, salt and sugar. Add the beaten egg to the cream cheese mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Cream Cheese Glaze

2 ounces (¼ of an 8-ounce package) cream cheese

1/4 cup (½ stick) butter, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt until completely combined. With the mixer running, add the sifted powdered sugar, one spoonful at a time, until fully incorporated.

Brioche Dough

3/4 cup milk, divided

1 package (2½ teaspoons) active dry yeast

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided

2 eggs, plus ½ beaten egg (use the remaining half egg leftover from the cream cheese filling), divided

10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature

3 1/2 cups (15.75 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 teaspoon salt

Purple, green and yellow colored sugars for decorating

Plastic baby, if desired

Preparation and Assembly of Cake

In a small pan, heat one-half cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk over medium heat just until warmed. Remove from heat and pour the milk into a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar, then set aside until the milk is foamy and the yeast is activated, about 10 minutes.

Whisk the 2 eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in the yeast mixture and remaining one-third cup of sugar until fully incorporated.

If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer running, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. With the mixer running, add the flour mixture, one spoonful at a time, until fully incorporated.

Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is soft and somewhat silky (it's a rich dough and won't be entirely smooth), 5 to 7 minutes. Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.

Meanwhile, make an egg wash: Combine the remaining beaten half egg with the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk.

When the dough is doubled, punch it down (it will be very smooth and elastic) and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface into a 10-by-28-inch rectangle. Lightly score the dough lengthwise to divide the dough into 2 equal halves.

Spoon the apple filling down the length of one side, leaving a 1½-inch border on the top, bottom and sides. Repeat with the cream cheese filling down the other side of the dough, leaving a 1½-inch border on the top, bottom and each side. Lightly brush the edges and center of the dough (along the score) with the egg wash to moisten. Gently and carefully pull the dough over the cream cheese filling, sealing the edge of the dough along the score mark. Repeat with the apple filling. Press the sealed edges, making sure they are secure (otherwise the fillings could spill out while the cake bakes).

Gently twist the length of the dough to form a braid-like shape. Wrap the dough so it forms an oval wreath and gently press the edges together. Carefully transfer the wreath to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush the top of the wreath lightly with egg wash and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until almost doubled in volume, 45 minutes to an hour, or loosely cover and refrigerate the dough overnight, removing it from the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking for the dough to come to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush the wreath with any remaining egg wash and place the sheet in the oven.

Bake the cake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (the toothpick will remain moist if it hits the cream cheese filling, but there should be no crumbs sticking to it), about 30 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even coloring.

Allow the cake to cool slightly before it is frosted (if it's too hot, the glaze will run off the cake and not adhere). Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cake, then lightly sprinkle over the colored sugars. If using the plastic baby, hide it somewhere in the cake (press the baby in through the bottom of the cake so as not to disturb the top or sides of the cake). Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

For an easier, yet still festive recipe for Mardi Gras, you might like these delicious muffins that I baked last year:

Mardi Gras Bananas Foster Muffins

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Lemon Polenta Torta with Fruit Compote

'Lemon Polenta Torta' with powdered sugar sprinkled on top just as it is served in Italy!

Winter and lemons?  This combination just doesn't seem very logical to many of us.  Lemons are more commonly associated with the hot days of summer when we quench our thirst with icy, cold lemonade or lemon sherbet.  But in the warmer regions of the world, especially in the Mediterranean areas, and the U.S. states of Florida, California, Arizona and Texas, lemons are at their peak.  Lemons and all citrus fruits are a delicious and healthy part of winter, especially for cooking lighter in the kitchen.  The vitamin C in citrus proves their worth by helping us in the cold and flu season also, another timely advantage to citrus in winter!

In Italy, vibrant yellow lemons are harvested three times a year along the Amalfi coast!   The flavor of lemons is a family favorite in desserts, from torte' to pies to icey granite'.   We also love adding lemon juice with butter and garlic for an added sophistication to fish or chicken sizzling on the grill.  Vinaigrettes and vegetables jazz up with the help of lemons as well.

Baking and cooking with fresh, fragrant lemons infuse the air of any kitchen and home with their hypnotic perfume.  So during these grey days of winter, it's a perfect time to prepare something lemony!   The theme for this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club is perfectly timed for the winter season and the 'holiday of amore' . . . "Pucker up with Lemons (for Valentine's Day!)" hosted by Val on her blog, "More Than Burnt Toast".  Following the recipe for the Lemon Polenta Torta, you'll see what the rest of the group prepared with links to their recipes.

My husband seriously raved about this cake!  "Superb . . . very, very wonderful!" were his exact words!  Both of us thought that this cake was even better served warm, plain and simple without the compote.  We favored it with just a little sprinkling of powdered sugar on top as is the customary way to serve it in Italy.  Below is a photo of my sweet cousin, Silvia in Italy, who prepared an incredibly delicious classic Italian torta for us during our visit in October.

Silvia cuts fresh slices of Italian torta for us just minutes after entering the home!

perfectly moist and flavored, with a generous dusting of powdered sugar on top!

Lemon Polenta Torta with Fruit Compote
(adapted from "Cooking Light")

For the cake:

Cooking spray and parchment paper
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cup sugar (I added the extra 1/4 cup due to my addition of lemon juice, below)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup olive oil (I did not use extra-virgin because the taste is so much stronger)
2 large eggs (I use jumbo eggs)
juice from 1/2 of a lemon, fresh-squeezed (preferably from Meyer lemons) (my addition that I highly recommend)
2 tsps. grated lemon rind

For the winter fruit compote:

1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/2 cup fresh or dried cranberries
1 3/4 cups chopped red-skinned pear (about 2)
1/2 cup golden raisins (I eliminated since my husband doesn't like raisins)
2 tsps. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. sugar

To prepare the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
Line bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Coat paper with cooking spray.
Set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine flour and all dry ingredients (except the lemon zest) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Make a well in center of mixture.
Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, lemon juice and lemon rind, stirring well with a whisk.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until moist.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.
Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare the compote:

Combine apple juice and raisins in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, and cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 4 minutes).
Add cranberries to pan; cook 5 minutes.
Add pear to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender.
Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.
Top slices of the lemon torta with the fruit compote.

If 'lighter' lemon dessert recipes are something that you enjoy, than you might want to check out the following luscious lemon treats that I've prepared before.  Both of these cakes are loaded with lemon flavor and you'd never, ever know that they are lightened up!

Lemon with Limoncello Layer Cake

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake

All of the recipes contributed to this month's "Lemon" theme can be found at:

Val (More Than Burnt Toast) made a delicious main dish of Lemon Ginger Fried Chicken
Sandi (Cooking at The Whistlestop Cafe) concocted a strong batch of Limoncello 
Jerry (Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants) prepared a Fennel Salad with Meyer Lemon
Susan (The Spice Garden) made a hearty winter Chicken Rice Avgolemono Soup with Dill 
Sarah (All Our Fingers In The Pie) put together a healthy salad of Tomatoes with Avocado and Preserved Lemons 

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Nutella, Banana and Macadamia Nut Panini

Bananas and Nutella may sound weird to some, but the combo is simply incredible and irresistable once you try it.  I love this marriage of fruit and chocolate-hazelnut so much that I am exceptionally good at tricking my brain into thinking that I'm really eating something healthy when I indulge in a half of a banana dipped straight into a jar of Nutella.  Just who am I kidding?

But since today is World Nutella Day, I knew that I had to make our favorite dessert panini to celebrate the event and that highlights this favorite Nutella combination!

What makes these somewhat ordinary sounding dessert panini extra sweet and special is that they are grilled in a pool of butter, cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkled with chopped macadamia nuts, and dusted with powdered sugar.  Now that's a sweet treat!


I bet you can't eat just one bite!

And I bet you'll have a messy face . . . but messy with a big smile on your face!

After grilling the bread with butter, cinnamon and sugar

spread Nutella generously on one slice of bread per panino,

 layer with sliced bananas

and finally, sprinkle on diced macadamia nuts.

close the panini lid lightly to grill until the Nutella is melted.

all melted, nice and gooey before the final presentation

pretty powdered sugar dusts the panino, strawberries, and sliced bananas

Nutella, Banana and Macadamia Nut Panini

1-1/2 sticks of butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar mixed together with 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
 3 ripe bananas, sliced 1/4" thick
4 - 8 slices Ciabatta or Italian bread (depending on how many panini you want)
1 small jar of Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts (or hazelnuts)
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Whole strawberries, for serving

Heat panini griddle to medium-high or large non-stick pan over medium heat.
Place the butter on the griddle to melt (do not use all of the butter if doing this in batches).
Spread some soft butter on the outer sides of the bread slices.
Sprinkle both sides of the bread slices with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Place bread slices on the grill and cook for a few seconds so that the cinnamon sugar adheres to the bread (do not press the panini pressing top down while doing this).
Flip over and do the same for the opposite side of the bread.
Spread each slice of bread with Nutella, as thick as you like.
Place a layer of sliced bananas on top of the layer of Nutella.
Sprinkle with hazelnuts
Grill until the bread is golden brown on each side and the Nutella is melted.
Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.
Sprinkle with more chopped macadamia nuts for pizazz.
Serve warm immediately with strawberries on the side.

If you enjoy Nutella recipes, here is another yummy one that you might like:

Nutella and Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

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Citrus Granita, Eating 'Clean' and the Amalfi Coast, Italy

Clean, clean, clean . . . the theme for January to kick off the new year of 2013 for the Cooking Light Virtual Supper  Club.

So PERFECT!

I don't know about you, but I have always loved New Year's Day!  I don't make any specific resolutions, but I do vow to make positive changes in many areas of my life.  Last year I promised myself to clean up my nutrition.  I kept my promise to myself, lost weight, tightened up a (little) bit, and now feel so much better (and lighter too)!

I also pledged to clean out the clutter in my home . . . check!  And it's still going on!   We paid off several bills and cut down our spending in general to stay true to our resolution to simplify our lives and focus more on what is important to us.  Our goal is to keep plugging away at this one so that some day I can retire!

Even if you don't make resolutions, you can't deny that it's great to clean up anything in our lives:  whether that be our homes, all of that distracting, useless clutter, or our nutrition . . . clean is good!

But the 'clean eating' lifestyle certainly is NOT an easy approach to eating.  For the most part, I agree with many of the guidelines, but this style of eating loses me in several areas (that I'll point out later).  Put simply, the focus of clean eating is to consume food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible.

Fresh fruit is a big part of this style of eating since fruit can be enjoyed so much without any cooking.  And since it's winter when citrus is at it's peak of freshness, I chose to prepare a granita of lemons and orange for this month's 'clean' theme.


BUT, and this is a really big 'but':  One of the challenges of the 'clean eating' approach:  NO sugar is allowed.  That's a toughy for many of us, at least I know that it is for me and especially for my husband.  Granita requires sugar added to the squeezed juice from fresh fruit.  So I replaced it with Stevia, which is allowed in the clean eating philosophy.  For this month's 'clean' theme, I'll make that one little change.  But other than this one time, I'm going straight back to using sugar, which is what the Cooking Light recipe uses anyway!  And I trust Cooking Light!

Citrus Granita

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
3 cups water
1-1/2 to 2 cups sugar (substitute 'Stevia' for a pure 'clean' recipe)
1 cup fresh orange juice (about 4 oranges)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute or until sugar dissolves; stir constantly.
Remove from heat.
Cool completely.
Pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Cover; freeze at least 8 hours or until firm.
Remove dish from freezer, and scrape the entire mixture with a fork until fluffy.
Store the remaining granita in an airtight container.
Cover and freeze up to 1 month.

Slice open 4 - 5 oranges and 3 - 4 lemons, depending on your flavor preferences.

Fresh citrus is in high season right now, so they're perfect for fresh granita!

Squeeze the lemons and oranges and blend together in a bowl.

Bring the lemon-orange juice-sugar/Stevia-water mixture to a boil.

Cook for one minute until sugar dissolves.

Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Pour into a baking pan.

Place in the freezer for 8 hours to firm up.

the granita in a solid frozen state

with a fork, chip away ice flakes from the solid granita

the first layer is a little hard to chip off but once the first layer is chipped away, 

the process is very easy and fast

have chilled glasses ready to put the granita in before it melts

I also put each filled glass in the freezer while filling the other glasses

Mmmm, a glass full of sweet and tangy granita!

From my October trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, 

one of the numerous fruit stands hanging on the edge of the cliff,

where I bought an outrageously delicious, fresh-squeezed lemon granita!

I went back to buy several more!

With the cliffs of the Amalfi coast mountainside in the background,

this little cup of sweet-tart freshly squeezed lemon granita

was simply perfect, especially on a hot afternoon!

In the little village of Praiano, Italy

my mother and I attended the annual Festival for St. Luke the Evangelist.

People had food and fruit stands set up in the small piazza.

Here was one very tempting lemon granita stand.

You can check out all of the delicious 'clean' recipes prepared by the rest of the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club, that is hosted every month by Val of "More Than Burnt Toast".  Here's the line-up:

• Sandi of Whistlestop Cafe Cooking prepared one of my all-time favorite dishes:  a Frittata with Spinach, Onion and Swiss Cheese.
• Jerry of Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants was lucky enough to spend Christmas in Rome and brought with a Lentil Herb Salad.
• Val from More Than Burnt Toast made a delicious salad of Bulgur with Dried Cranberries.  Yummy!
• Susan of The Spice Garden brought Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fennel and Shitake Mushrooms.
• Sarah of All Our Fingers in the Pie whipped up an incredible Curried Lamb and Lentil Stew.

Now, if you're interested in knowing more about the trendy new "clean eating" lifestyle, here are a few additional ways to incorporate it into your own life:

• Always focus on eating foods in their most natural or close-to-natural states.
• Eat five to six small meals a day, grazing only when hungry (this includes snacks).  This maintains your blood sugar levels and keeps your metabolism churning all day long
• Include a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables during each meal --- basically eat more plants than meats.
• Meats are allowed, but only purchase fresh cuts from a butcher, never pre-packaged.
• Include grains such as brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains.
• Drink lots of water . . . at least 8 glasses of water daily
• Eliminate drinking alcohol except an occasional glass of red wine for the antioxidants --- this would be difficult for me, as well as for most Europeans who enjoy wine with nearly every meal . . . and still live healthy lifestyles
• Avoid drinking carbonated sodas, even 'diet' sodas; avoid packaged fruit 'drinks', drink water with citrus juice for flavor
• Avoid processed and refined foods (including sugar, white bread, white pasta, and white flour)  --- I would fail this approach right here with this point!  If you look at the natives of the Mediterranean (where I was just visiting Italy in October), you'd see how THIN they are while at the same time enjoying sugar in granitas, gelate, tortas, and pastries.  They also enjoy pasta from 'white' semolina flour and enjoy fresh-baked white artisanal breads.  The reason?   They walk EVERYWHERE! . . . so I could never buy into this approach completely.  The Mediterranean Diet has been famous for years and it's very close to the 'clean eating' diet, just more forgiving!  All other points of this philosophy are doable for me though.
• Stay away from any foods with saturated and trans fats, or foods that are fried.
• Include healthy fats such as olive oil, sesame oil, or peanut oil, cheese, nuts, avocados, seeds or fish daily.
• Read labels and purchase foods that contain only one to five ingredients
• Avoid foods that state 'fat free' on the labels due to the chemicals contained within those foods

Happy, HEALTHIER 2013!

.

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White Chocolate Drizzled Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Biscotti (or cantucci which is what my family calls them) have been baked for Christmas in my family for centuries.  As one of our favorite treats, it simply would not be the holidays without these wonderful Italian cookies.  Italian biscotti are long, narrow cookies that are hard and crispy as a result of baking them twice.  Biscotti are ridiculously easy cookies to make!  No one should be intimidated by the process of forming the batter into logs for the first baking, cooling them off a bit and then slicing into shape before baking a second time to become golden brown.  Plus, biscotti/cantucci are easy to store for long time and versatile to experiment with different flavors.

Traditionally, biscotti are dunked into either coffee or wine after dinner or as a mid-day snack.  The hard texture softens in the liquid or you can eat them without dipping.  My mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers have always made the traditional anise-flavored biscotti for the holidays.  The cooks in this family rarely sway from traditional recipes when it comes to family recipes.  However, I've been wanting to bake biscotti with white chocolate, cranberries and pistachios for some time!

I just had to take the opportunity to bake up a batch of these distinctive Italian cookies when Pamela Heath from Orandi Ranch ARO Gourmet Pistachios sent me some pistachios from California, that are AHA and Kosher certified, as well as naturally vegan and gluten-free.  These delicious pistachios can be purchased either shelled or unshelled, perfectly roasted and handcrafted with Himalayan Pink Salt.  After receiving them I wrote to Pamela and asked her if I could bake something with the yummy nuts and post the recipe on my blog.  No one asked me to do this, I simply volunteered and I am so glad; these amazing pistachio-based biscotti turned out better than any of our expectations!  If you are a pistachio lover as am I, you really need to check out these specialty pistachios through the link provided above.



Plus the green pistachios and red cranberries are such a beautiful combination for a holiday cookie platter.  With the addition of white chocolate the cookies become more festive and special . . .  creating a balance between the creamy, sweet flavor of the chocolate paired perfectly with the tart, chewy cranberries!  The texture of the hard cookie base combined with the soft, creamy chocolate bits will make your taste buds sing!  For added attractiveness, drizzle or dip the biscotti with melted chocolate.  The extra chocolate melts and adds some creamy chocolatey sweetness to your hot coffee.

These biscotti are so delicious that my family has just been gobbling them down!  My mother even asked me to get them away from her to stop the constant temptation to eat more!  This is one of the highest compliments when a recipe passes the rigorous test of my family and when they declare a new favorite!  Your family will enthusiastically grab them up fast too, I promise!  These are the most fantastic, superior biscotti that we have ever tasted!

This is also a versatile recipe to change ingredients that you may prefer better.  For example, if you are more fond of almonds or other nuts, use those instead.  You may want to use milk chocolate or butterscotch.  Maybe you prefer dried blueberries or other dried fruits instead of cranberries . . . no problem with this recipe.  Or drizzle the cookies with caramel instead of chocolate too.  There are so many possibilities for you to conjure up your own unique yummy flavor combination!

You can also control the level of crispiness/hardness of the cookies by the amount of time you bake them the second time:    If you prefer your biscotti more crispy for the traditional dunking in coffee or wine, the amount of baking time is anywhere from 15 - 20 minutes.  The baking time for more soft cookies (that my husband prefers, since he doesn't dunk them) is 5  - 10 minutes.  Just make sure that the edges of the biscotti do not brown or burn, but rather are golden only.

Enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

White Chocolate Drizzled Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

1 cup butter
1-1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on the pre-cooked biscotti
3 eggs for the biscotti mixture, plus 1 egg for brushing on the pre-cooked biscotti
2 tsp. pure vanilla or vanilla extract
4 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup amaretto liquor
1-1/2 cups dried cranberries
3/4 cup white chocolate chips or 7 squares of white chocolate
1-1/4 cups shelled pistachios
1 - 2 cups of melted white chocolate
Red and Green colored sugar or sprinkles (optional for Christmas)

In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugar well.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Add in the vanilla and amaretto liquor.
In a separate bowl combine the four, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Slowly blend in the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture and mix well.
Fold in the cranberries, white chocolate and pistachios; dough will be sticky.
Divide dough into two to three equal sized portions.
On a floured surface or cutting board, shape each portion into a long 2-1/2" wide logs; these expand while baking, so shape the logs according to your preference.
With your hands, gently 'flatten' each of the logs a little bit.
Brush a beaten egg on each log and generously sprinkle sugar on top of each log.
Carefully place logs on an ungreased baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart.
Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 25 minutes or until firm and lightly brown on the edges.
Cool for 5 minutes.
While warm, yet cool enough to handle with your hands, transfer logs to a cutting board.
With very little pressure, use a serrated knife to cut the logs diagonally into 1" slices.
Allow the knife to do the work for you and do not press down on the biscotti so they don't break.
Place the slices 'cut-side' down on the ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown and remove from the oven to turn each over.
Return the slices to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and set the biscotti on wire racks to cool.
Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.
Remove chocolate from the heat.
With a fork, drizzle the chocolate over biscotti and/or dip the biscotti into the chocolate on one end of each.
Place the chocolate dipped or drizzled biscotti on wax or parchment paper and allow to set for about 30 minutes.
For Christmas, sprinkle your favorite red and green colored sugar or sprinkles on the warm chocolate.
For Easter or springtime, you can also choose to use pink, yellow, lavender, or green).
Store in an airtight container for up to one month or freeze them for later.

During my trip to Italy, I took these two photos of Italian "cantuccini" with wine.

Many people don't realize that Italians dip biscotti / cantucci in wine as well as coffee!

"Cantucci" (as shown above) is how my family has always called biscotti.

Woo!  This bag of cantucci was priced at 7.60 euros . . . about $10.00 (U.S.)

You can make these at home for so much less . . . and fresher too!

I'm also happily sharing this recipe on:

Roxana's Chocolate Party

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The Traditional Food of Naples, Italy! A Taste of Napoli!

Naples, Bay of Naples, Mount Vesuvius

(photo credit:  dailymail uk)

Napoli, or Naples is my final destination before flying back to the States after two wonderful weeks in beautiful Italy.  Located on the incredibly beautiful Bay of Naples and beneath Mount Vesuvius, this is a very large city, in fact it is the third largest city in Italy.  The narrow streets are very crowded and bustling with activity; everyone seems to be in a manic hurry here.  Driving a car here is literally insane!  But like many places in Italy, there is a lot to see and admire, and so little time before I fly home!  

The people of Naples live with the continual threat of Vesuvius and memories of the catastrophic destruction of the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, thus giving them a reputation for living life to the fullest and with a much greater sense of gusto.  The people engage in a religious custom twice a year at the city's Duomo where they view the blood of Saint Gennaro miraculously liquifying in its vial which provides safety and protection from another eruption from the volcano.

Someday I hope to visit Naples during the Christmas season!  Neapolitans are known for their magnificent hand-crafted 'il presepe' (cribs) or nativity scenes.  This custom has now extended to including scenes beyond the Nativity to life around Naples itself.  Via San Gregorio Armeno is filled with displays and artisan workshops selling Nativity scenes.  The famous Giussepe Ferrigno has a work shop where some of his elaborate 'il presepe' can be seen.

Via San Gregorio Armeno full of artisan workshops where the handmade figurines can be purchased

sample of Giuseppe Feriggno's craftsmanship

Hundreds of nativity scenes can be found throughout Italy in town squares, shops, many homes, and in every church including the Vatican in Rome.   People begin setting up the displays on December 8th, which is the Feast of The Immaculate Conception and are taken down on January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany.  The figurine of the baby Jesus is always added to the crib scene on Christmas Eve.

So popular are these figurines in Italy, that in Naples and Rome there are two museums where one can view thousands of figurines (collections dating back to the 1800's are in Il Museo Tipologico Nazionale del Presepio, Rome and Il Museo Nazionale di San Martino, Naples).

The castle/palace of Maschio Angioiano

Castel dell'Ovo, the oldest castle in Naples, on the waterfront of the spectacular Bay of Naples

The FOOD of Naples and Campania

As in any part of Italy, Neapolitans are passionate and quite opinionated about their cuisine.  The food of Campania is as exuberant as its natives.  Even though the heartier food of Northern Italy is so well known for its prosciutto, parmigiana, and balsamico ingredients, what is known as 'Mediterranean Cuisine', and that which is much healthier for us, is from the Southern part of Italy, including the food of Naples and Campania.  The cooking of this region aims to preserve the flavors of the local fresh ingredients as well as their fragrance, thereby maintaining a focus on simplicity rather than sophistication. Southern Italian food is considered to be the 'soul of Italy'. 

The cuisine is more spicy and reliant on the sun-kissed vegetables available year-round, including superb artichokes and aubergine (eggplant), courgettes (zucchini) sun-dried pomodori (tomatoes).  Bumper crops of dried red chili peppers, garlic, herbs, olives, olive oil and salty capers are also harvested.  Campania is famous for its fruit orchards that produce some of the best lemons and oranges, figs, peaches and apricots, and also grapes from numerous vineyards.  Almonds and hazelnuts of the highest quality hale from this region.  Pasta is more often dried in this southern part of Italy versus the fresh pasta of the North, although cooks do use fresh pasta as well.  And it is in Campania where the tomato was first introduced to Italy and used in it's cuisine.

San Marzano tomatoes' enhanced rich flavor and deep red color result from flourishing in the rich, fertile volcanic soil of Campania.  Additionally, the ideal growing climate exists in Southern Italy that includes plenty of sunshine with idyllic warm days and cooler evenings.

Seafood and sea-salt are stand-out ingredients in the kitchen.  The sea is a highlight of the food from which it generously offers an endless array of pristine seafood harvested from anchovies to clams, mussels and squid, and even octopus!  Traditionally there is a shorter supply of meat in this region, so it goes without saying that less meat is consumed that has greater reliance on lamb and seafood.

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore!

The natives of Naples claim that their city is the original home to authentic pizza!  The world's first pizzeria opened its doors in Naples and still remains in business today.  Using the simplest of ingredients, Pizza Margherita is a triumph of Neapolitan cuisine!  Becoming more popular now in the States, the humble ingredients of fresh San Marzano pomodori (tomatoes), fresh aromatic basil and mozzarella (di bufala) on char-marked dough is all that is required to make this highly-praised and delicious pizza.  The colors of red, white, and green represent the official colors of the Italian flag.  Fresh, and bubbly-hot straight out of ancient wood-fired ovens, this is the ultimate!

Pizza Margherita

click for the recipe

(photo credit:  Rosalind Corieri Paige)

classic Neapolitan Margherita Pizza
(photo credit:  dailymail uk)

Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
(photo credit:  girlichef blog, click for recipe)

Spaghetti all Puttanesca

literally means 'whore's spaghetti' in Italian!   This is a hot, spicy, tangy, salty and very fragrant pasta dish made from typical local ingredients:  fresh tomatoes, olives, chili peppers, garlic, and capers, all sauteed in olive oil and presented with a sprinkling of fresh Italian parsley.  My mother loves this wonderful pasta dish!

Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan)

This is one Italian classic dish that has disagreement among several regions in Italy as to it's origin.  As with all traditional recipes, there are numerous claims to the definitive method of preparation.  Because this region is so renowned for its fresh eggplant that is available throughout the year, I'm going to agree with the Neapolitan saying:  "A parmigiana e’ mulignane ca se fa a’ Napule è semp’a meglio!" (The eggplant Parmesan that is made in Naples is always the best!).  The authentic method for creating this dish includes all of the region's noted flavors with layers of 'aubergine' (eggplant )with Provola and Parmigiana cheeses, San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, onions, garlic and fresh basil!

Bistecca or Carne alla Pizzaiola (Meat in Pizza Style)

One of the favorite, pillar, everyday Neapolitan dishes. Pizzaiola is made from inexpensive cuts of meat that are seared and then cooked long enough to be tenderized in a spicy tomato-based sauce of peppers, capers, garlic, basil, oregano, and olive oil.  As with all Italian recipes, numerous versions abound!  Some cooks might add olives or anchovies and even some wine for a more lusty flavor and fragrance!  Many Italian cooks, such as in my family, always prepare a 'soffritto' for this and other recipes which is a simple combination of sautéed onions, celery and carrots . . . we also add garlic.

i dolci (the sweets)!

Neapolitans certainly are known for their preference for sweets!  The desserts of this region focus on citrus and pastry and here are just a few of the region's favorites:

Sfogliatelle

Paper-thin layers of beautifully baked clam-shaped pastry pockets filled with an oozing, buttery filling of creamy ricotta cheese, sugar, cinnamon, and little bits of candied citrus.  Along with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar on top, Sfogliatelle comprise a regional dessert specialty.  Being very labor intensive, these sweet pastries are a Neapolitan treat not to be missed and enjoyed while sipping a good cup of Italian coffee!

Zeppole

Tradition dictates that these pastries are to be served on St. Joseph's Day on March 18th.  Because my family is of Northern Italian descent, we were not raised with any awareness of this holy day tradition at all!  It was only until I had met an Italian-American from Southern Italian heritage that I learned of how and why this feast is celebrated!  Every year small to very large tables of food are presented as a form of an 'altar' to honor St. Joseph who people prayed ardently to him in order to bring them out of a horrible drought.  When it finally came to an end, this wonderful and delicious tradition of thankfulness began.

Struffoli

This Neapolitan sweet is commonly served at Christmas and Easter.  Always served warm, these little balls of deep fried dough are drizzled with honey and decorated with 'diavulilli' (colored sprinkles) and sometimes with cinnamon-sugar or bits of orange rind.  Struffoli balls are cleverly stacked on top of each to resemble a Christmas tree.

Compania is also home to delicious cheese varieties:  Ricotta, Mascarpone and from sheep's milk, one of my family favorites, Pecorino.


In no way is this list comprehensive of the foods of Naples and Campania!  This is just a brief mention of some of the more well-known traditional dishes of the region.  If you would like to comment and let me know of anything that you feel should be mentioned, please let me know and I will be  more than happy to edit this post upon my return from Italy.

Ciao!
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A Cinnamon Treat Guest Post from "That Skinny (Lizzy) Chick Can Bake!!!"

Cinnamon delight is the highlight of this wonderful guest post from Liz of "That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!".   For a long time now, I've been wanting to ask more of my favorite food bloggers to come on over and allow me to spotlight their wonderful cooking and baking skills on my blog.  Now that I've been home on a leave of absence for my surgery, I have the additional time that I needed to hop around blog-land and ask!  I'm not finished with my list yet, so heads up, I'll be writing to you too!  Or geez, just volunteer!

Now I'm not going to tell you the story of how Liz and I know each other because she tells a far better story than I do!  And she has shared it below.  After that comes one of her specialties . . . baking super wonderful breads; this recipe she is sharing with all of us is for Cinnamon Twists!  Your home will smell wonderful from the aroma of this baking in the oven, even better for this time of year:   autumn and the upcoming holidays!  And who doesn't like sweet sugar and cinnamon in their bread?

Before I turn it over to Liz, let me remind you that all of her contact information follows her recipe too, so that you can follow all of her posts.

And now I'll let Liz do the talking! 

"My blog started on a whim...I remember revealing my little project to a group of friends while out to lunch one spring day. One happened to have a friend whose wife was on the now defunct Foodbuzz, an on-line food blogger community...and this gal encouraged me to join the site and network with other foodies. It was there that I connected with so many fabulous, inspirational bloggers...including Roz. My blog ballooned from a simple way to share favorite recipes with friends and family into a place where I developed relationships with food bloggers across the globe. Blogging, along with baking, became one of my passions.

Those of you who are regular followers of my blog may remember the serendipitous reunion between Roz and me. She commented on my blog one day, which lead me back to her blog.  I was immediately awed by all of her marvelous food, gorgeous photography and especially her kind heart. She had oodles of fans and followers, and I knew I'd be back. She mentioned in her bio that she was from Iowa...well, what the heck, so was I. Then I learned she was 100% Italian...hmmmm...and her photo resembled a friend from my hometown, Kelly. I just had to ask her if she was from Iowa and if she had a sister named 'Kelly'. Yup, she was the older sister of one of my dear friends since childhood.  Roz was the beautiful, mysterious, popular older sister who I had only known by a portrait in their family room...she was always busy with high school activities while Kelly and I were still immature and squirrelly in grade school.

After we reconnected, I reminded Roz that when Kelly and I were in college together, we took a road trip one weekend to visit Roz in St. Louis, where she then lived and where we were treated to one of her home cooked, gourmet dinners. I'm still hoping that she and I will be able to meet again in person.  Roz did a guest post for me this summer when we were in France, so I was delighted to reciprocate when she made plans to travel abroad with her parents this fall. Such a thrill.  I had to bake up something both beautiful and delicious...so you'll have to pop over to La Bella Vita to see the details."

I had seen a few versions of these cinnamon twists on-line and knew my family would love them. The King Arthur Flour site had an apple filled version which I tweaked to be more like a traditional cinnamon roll.  I baked one in an 8-inch cake pan and the other on a sheet pan lined with parchment. The one in the cake pan produced a much prettier loaf.

This dough was silky smooth...maybe from the addition of potato buds (instant mashed potatoes) or maybe from the overnight rising time. I did not learn the chemistry of baking in my nursing chemistry course, so maybe someone can enlighten me. Nevertheless, this dough produced a delicious bread that all 5 of us enjoyed.

Cinnamon Twists

from "That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!"

(adapted from King Arthur Flour)

3-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup dried potato flakes or buds

3 heaping tablespoons sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1-1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter plus extra for buttering bowl, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup milk

Filling:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

A few grates of fresh nutmeg, optional

2 tablespoons melted butter

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl of large stand mixer (you can also mix and knead by hand). Make sure potato flakes are well dispersed. Add the butter, vanilla, egg and milk. Mix with dough hook till a shaggy dough forms. Let rest 30 minutes.

Knead dough with dough hook or by hand for 10 minutes, then place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat top of dough with butter, then cover and refrigerate dough overnight.

The next morning, bring dough out and allow to sit out on the counter for 3 hours.

Make filling by combining sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

To assemble, deflate dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough half into a 10 x 12 inch rectangle. Brush dough with half the melted butter, then sprinkle with half the cinnamon mixture over the surface stopping within about 1/2 inch of one longer edge. Roll up jelly roll style starting at the long edge with the cinnamon, making a log. Press seam together to lightly seal.

Cut the log in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Turn each half so that filling and cut edges face upward. Seal two of the short edges together, then cross one side over the other repeatedly to make a twist. Carefully place twist in a greased 8-inch cake pan forming a ring. Repeat with second piece of dough.

Cover lightly and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350º. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool for few minutes, then carefully remove from pans to a rack to finish cooling.

Make glaze by combining all ingredients using the extra tablespoon of cream if necessary. Place into a quart ziplock bag, seal and clip off corner with a scissors. Squeeze bag to drizzle icing over cooled twists.

Makes 2 8-inch cinnamon twists.

Thanks so much, Roz, for inviting me to share a recipe with your blog followers! Enjoy your holiday, my friend! 

xo,

Liz 

I knew that you would love whatever Liz shared for her guest post!

After ALL of these years since her friendship began with my sister in 1968 and when I met Liz in St. Louis (1978), it is because of our two food blogs that we re-connected in 2010 between Indiana and South Carolina where we now live!  Just so cool!

As promised here are all of the ways that you can follow Liz.  You can either click on the site names or copy and paste the addesses:

That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!  . . . http://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/

Twitter . . . https://twitter.com/#!/ThatSkinnyChick

Facebook . . . https://www.facebook.com/pages/That-Skinny-Chick-Can-Bake/112597838794834

Google + . . . https://plus.google.com/116213594518847001708/posts?hl=en

Pinterest . . . http://pinterest.com/lizzydo/   

StumbleUpon . . . http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/lizzydo 

Thanks Lizzy!!!  

Mwah!  

xoxo, Roz

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