On the 9th day of Christmas: biscotti with orange peel & chocolate

Tonight I have been slaving away in the kitchen, making one of my very treasured Christmas cookies, Biscotti Paradiso, a milk chocolate, orange peel and almond biscotti that is out of this world.  It takes hours.  But snatching a nibble of the completed biscotti is heaven - a little bitter from the orange peel, sweetness from milk chocolate chips, and toasted almonds.  

I make this every year for a special friend who is Italian, who once swooned over these, and thus I am , like every baker, indebted to those who adore our goodies.  I will make these forever, if only to please those who recognize a beautiful cookie.   

And that lovely cardinal ornament?  There's something about seeing a cardinal that lifts your spirit and makes you smile.  

Merry almost-Christmas to you all!

the mad dash: russian tea cookies and biscotti paradiso

Forgive the long silence, I hope - two friends are having medical challenges and I've been trying to help out as best I can. Tonight I am re-connecting with my pastry chef happy place: making Russian Tea cookies ( or, as a child, I simply called them snowballs), and the divine scent and taste of my Christmas biscotti, also known as biscotti paradiso. Tedious to make, but so delicious , I can't complain. I have been so busy I don't even have a tree up, but I'm loving the scent of orange peel and toasted almonds and milk chocolate for the biscotti, and the sweet snowfall of confectioner's sugar atop the roasted walnut crunch of those little tea cookies.

You can find the recipe for the Russian Tea cookies here, and the biscotti, here.

Today I sent off the first Christmas box to my son in California, but that was before I made these lovely treats, so a second one will be packed up tomorrow. It's a very odd feeling to have him so far away, but that is part of life, isn't it? I'm happy to have my daughter and granddaughter still close by, and hoping we get some time to celebrate, along with all the other grands.

I hope you are in the kitchen, loving this happy part of Christmas - making special treats for those folks so special to you. Blessed Christmas cheer to you all!

Christmas cookie countdown: Maida Heatter's dark, rich brownies and crackly spice cookies

Maida Heatter's brownies are legendary, and with good reason - they are delicious. Because they're so rich, you can cut them smaller, I often do 2x2 inch squares. If I had some gold flakes, I think they would be even prettier.

And the crackly spice cookies are addictive, and sturdy, if you need to ship them.

You can find the recipes by clicking on the purple highlighted links - enjoy, and happy baking!

Christmas cookie countdown: christmas biscotti and chocolate chunk-pecan cookies

The Christmas biscotti is sprinkled with fresh orange peel, toasted almonds, and milk chocolate chips, while the chocolate chunk cookies are chock full of toasted pecans and (what else?) - chocolate powder and hand-chopped bittersweet chocolate.

Just click on the highlighted links to get the recipes - and happy baking!

christmas cookie countdown: gingerbread stars and lemon candy cane cookies

I'm stockpiling gold ribbons, cellophane bags, and hunting for those big gold foil stars in anticipation of the wild weeks just before Christmas, when the oven always seems to be on, and the stacks of cookies pile up, then dwindle as I pack up the bags.

Gingerbread Stars and Lemon Candy Cane cookies are some of the prettiest - just click on their highlighted names to get the recipes. Happy Baking!