December 7, 2004

•  

    Tis the Season
               ...ALREADY?!
  

  
    I don't know about
  y'all but I am SO not ready for the holidays. All of a sudden it is the
  first week of December, and I feel like it should still be the
  beginning of October. I lost 2 months somewhere along the line. I feel
  like I have been incredibly busy, yet also I feel like I haven't gotten
  a thing done!

    Is
  there anyone else that feels like they have been spinning their wheels
  this Fall? I definitely have been doing a decent amount of schoolwork
  with my daughter, and my aim is to try and get ahead by a week or two
  in the hopes of taking days for crafts, baking and house decorating. I
  would like to invite some friends over and just let the kids play and
  bake cookies. I think all of the kids would appreciate that. I never
  manage to do the amount of baking I would like to.

   
  I always make grand plans in my head to make some nice little gifts for
  friends just as a special "Thank you for being you", and for Brenna's
  various teachers, coaches, etc. that she has throughout the year. I
  think I finally have figured out what to make without overdoing
  it...how does this sound?

   
  I want to take small white bags and decorate them with stamps or
  stencils, and put in each one a piece of biscotti, a couple of pieces
  of homemade fudge and some chocolate covered pretzels; fold the top of
  the bag top down, and put some sort of small cutesy thing such as a
  little wreath or a candy cane or such at the top. Just something simple
  but that let's the person know they were thought of.

   
  I will find my copy of my Coconut Pecan Biscotti recipe. I made it for
  the first time last year and oooo boy it is GOOD. Course if you hate
  coconut and pecans it isn't for you! lol In that case, enjoy the
  chocolate covered pretzels or fudge. I will post the recipes I use.

    Anyone else out there have some killer holiday recipes to share???

                  
  
     Nothing says " Eat a ton of me and add 3 inches to
  your hips" like biscotti! Even so, try this recipe. It will become a
  favorite!

                       Kathie
  

  Coconut
  Pecan Biscotti

  1/2 C. butter
  3/4 C. brown sugar, packed
  2 large eggs
  3/4 C. sweetened coconut
  2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
  1 1/2 t. baking powder
  1/4 t. salt
  1 C. (4 ounces) chopped pecans

  Heat over to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

  Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar
  in large bowl to blend. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each
  addition. Beat in coconut. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Stir in
  pecans.

  Turn dough onto floured work surface and divide in half. Shape each half into
  two-inch wide log the length of a rolling pin. Transfer to cookie sheet, and pat
  down with hands to make dough flat and same thickness along the length.

  Bake 30
  minutes, until logs are golden-brown and firm-to-touch, and tester inserted in
  centers comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325
  degrees.

  Cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange on cookie sheet and bake
  another 10-15 minutes, until golden-brown, watching carefully. Turn and brown
  other side.

  To make this even more
  killer, I melt some semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle it over the top of the
  finished cookies.

  Makes 36 cookies.

  
  
   

   

   

   

        

  • 11:13 pm
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