Orange-Almond Biscotti

This has got to be one of my favorite biscotti recipes. For those of you who have never made it, biscotti is an italian cookie that is baked in a loaf, sliced, then baked again. Biscotti means twice baked, so expect a very crunchy cookie. They are great with tea, coffee, or simply dipped in chocolate! These cookies are filled with bright bits of orange zest and crunchy nuggets of almonds. They make wonderful gifts, but they also stay fresh for about a week if you want to eat them all (don't feel too guilty because they are almost fat free!).

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Stick Butter, Softened but Cool
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
3/4 Cup Whole Almonds with Skins
2 T Orange Zest

Toast the almonds. Once cool, chop coarsely.

Heat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in the almonds and zest. Fold in the dry ingredients.

Halve the dough and turn both portions onto the prepared tray. Quickly form each into roughly 13x2" loaves. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through.

Cool the loaves for 10 minutes and lower the oven temperature to 325F. Slice into 3/8" thick slices, then bake for 15 minutes. They will harden more as they cool.

Makes 36
Recipe Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

Anyone who has been to Starbucks has seen and tried their delectable White Chocolate Cranberry Bars. They are delicious, and I currently have a truckload of cranberry products in my house leftover from the holidays. This is an excellent way to use them up, and they will be devoured in minutes. The bars consist of blondies with white chocolate and cranberries covered with a white chocolate cream cheese frosting. To top it all off, they are sprinkled with more cranberries and drizzled with even more white chocolate. The tartness of the cranberries pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the white chocolate. If you love oranges, try adding some orange zest to the batter. They are fairly simple to make and they taste amazing!

1 1/2 Sticks Butter

1 1/2 Cups Light Brown Sugar

2 Eggs
3/4 tsp Vanilla
2 1/4 Cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1 Cup Dried Cranberries
2 Cups White Chocolate Chips
8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Cup Powdered Sugar

Heat oven to 350F. Line a 9x13" pan with parchment and grease.

Melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and cool to room temperature. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and gradually add to the butter mixture. Fold in 1/2 cup cranberries and 1 cup white chocolate.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Melt the remaining white chocolate and add half to the mixture. Spread onto the blondes and sprinkle with remaining cranberries. Drizzle with remaining white chocolate.

Makes 24
Recipe Adapted from Lori Lange of www.recipegirl.com

Trail Mix Cookies

It's 2012, and it's time for New Year's Resolutions! "I want to eat healthier" is a ubiquitous phrase, but it doesn't necessarily mean tofu and protein shakes. By making simple switches, you can save a ton of calories without sacrificing much. These Trail Mix Cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth, and they are full of oats, coconut, raisins, and peanuts. You can change the ingredients as long as you keep the basic flavors and ratios, so try them with other dried fruits and nuts. I will also sometimes substitute whole wheat flour for about half the all-purpose listed. There is so little cookie dough in the cookies because of the oats, fruits, and nuts that you won't taste the difference. For more recipes to assist you in your pursuit of sticking to your New Year's Resolutions, check out PopCosmo.

1/2 Stick Butter, Softened

1/4 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Baking Soda, dissolved in
1 T Warm Water
1/2 Cup + 2 T Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1/3 Cup Roasted Peanuts
2/3 Cup Raisins

Preheat oven to 375F and line cookie trays with parchment paper.


In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and shortening; beat in the brown sugar. Add the egg, baking soda solution, flour, salt, and vanilla, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the oats, coconut, chocolate chips, peanuts, and raisins.


Scoop the dough into 30g balls. Place them on the cookie trays and flatten slightly. Bake 10-12 minutes or until browned.

Makes 28
Recipe Adapted from Gourmet