Handmade Christmas Gifts

With 2010 closing in, most of us are looking forward to Christmas and if we haven’t done our Christmas shopping, we’re at least thinking about it. This year I’m giving food treats for presents instead of buying things for family members. I love to bake and find it relaxing so it’s no hardship to whip up something as a gift.

I thought I’d share one of the recipes I’m going to be making. Biscotti are one of my favorite things to nibble with a cup of coffee and you can make so many different taste combinations. This recipe comes from the Foodlovers Website. (www.foodlovers.co.nz)

Cranberry Biscotti




Makes 40 pieces

When the dough has been baked once it should be firm enough to handle and to slice, if it collapses then bake it for slightly longer. I slice it with a serrated bread knife.

Ingredients

• 220 g flour (8 ounces)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 50 g coconut (1 ¾ ounces)
• zest of one lemon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 100 g almonds, roughly chopped (3 ½ ounces)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Method
Preheat oven to 190 C (370 F)

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together the eggs and sugar and then pour into the dry ingredients, mix well.

Mix in almonds and cranberries. Tip dough out onto a lightly floured bench and pat into two logs, place on a greased and floured baking tray.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle slice into .5 cm thick slices.

Reduce oven heat to 130 C. Place slices on baking tray and return to the oven for 20 minutes or until biscotti are firm.

Cool on a rack and store in an air tight container.

Shelley’s notes:
1. My oven is a fan bake one. When I’m baking this recipe I use normal bake rather than the fan bake.
2. The dough is quite a damp one. I usually have a little spare flour handy and add enough so I can shape the dough easily. It really depends on the size of the eggs you are using. Three smallish eggs work better than three large ones.
3. Feel free to experiment with flavorings. I tried chocolate chips and cranberries and intend to try ginger and almond very soon.

I’ll take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful and safe festive season.

Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand and writes romance for Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave, Liquid Silver Books and Samhain Publishing. Shelley’s most recent release is a historical romance called The Spurned Viscountess, available from Carina Press. You can visit Shelley at www.shelleymunro.com