Chocolate biscotti with hazelnuts

This simple twice baked chocolate biscotti recipe has a perfect crunch and crispy texture and makes them ideal for dunking into your favourite hot beverage.

Servings: 72 biscottis

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hazelnuts raw

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup butter softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 3 eggs room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees (Position rack in the center)

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

• Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 12-15minutes, or until skins begin to crack. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel for a few minutes. rub hazelnuts together to remove skin.

• Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.

• In a medium bowl, sift and whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt) Set aside.

• In a large mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachement, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.

• Beat in eggs, one at a time

• Add vanilla extract

• Add flour mixture to egg mixture with a wooden spoon until just incorporated (do not over mix)

• Fold in choppeed hazelnuts and chopped chocolate

• Divide dough into quarters. Place each quarter on the cookie sheet, shaping each into a 15 inch log. Flatten each biscotti log until 1 1/2 inches wide.

• Transfer to a cutting board

• Use a serrated knife, slice cookies at an angle about 1/2 inch thick.

• Place the sliced cookies back on the baking sheets and return them to the oven for about another 20-30 minutes (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get) Turn them over at around the 10 minute mark

• Remove from oven and enjoy!

Basque burnt cheesecake

You really can’t mess this cheesecake up. It wants to be burned and cracked.. This recipe was inspired by Molly Baz. One of my favourite New York style cheesecake that I enjoy over the holidays.

Ingredients

• unsalted butter for the pan

• 2 LB cream cheese (room temperature)

• 1 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 10” springform pan. Then line with 2 overlapping 16X12”sheets of parchment making sure the parchment comes at least 2” above all sides. You won’t end up with a clean look and that is okay! Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a mixer on medium low till smooth (about 2 mins)

3. Increase speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating each egg 15 seconds before adding the next. Add cream, salt and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

4. Pour batter into a prepared pan. bake cheesecake until deeply brown on top and still very jiggly in the centre, 60-65 minutes.

5. Let cool ( It will - don’t worry) completely and remove the parchment carefully. Slice into wedges and serve at room temperature.

6. You should bake ahead and serve chilled

Enjoy!!!

Gingerbread cookies

This recipe is amazing and I got it from Gimme some oven. Your home is guaranteed to smell amazing. This one has fresh orange zest and it really does the trick.

Vegan substitutes included.
Makes 40 cookies.

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (all from our baking spice dabba)

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (use vegan butter here if vegan)

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or maple syrup, agave syrup)

• 1 large egg (flax egg if vegan)

• 1/2 cup molasses

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• zest of one small orange(optional)

  Icing

• 2 cups Icing sugar

• 2–3 tablespoons milk (soy, oat or almond milk)

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Whisk together your dry ingredients. Flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda,, cloves, salt and nutmeg.

2. Beat the dough. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and molasses, and beat on medium speed until combined. Then gradually add in the flour mixture, and beat on medium-low speed until just combined.

3. Chill the dough. Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each into a ball. then gently use your hands to flatten each ball into a 1 “ thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerator for an hour or so until the dough is pliable.

4. Roll and cut the dough. Unwrap one of the discs and place it on a lightly-floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough evenly until it is approximately 1.8 inch thick. Then use your favourite cookie cutters to cut your desired shapes, re rolling the dough as needed to cut more. Transfer the shapes to parchment covered baking sheet.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are crisp around the edges and on the top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes., then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling

6. Decorate: Once the cookies cool to room temperature, feel free to decorate as desired with the icing.