Around our house...

:: Around our House ::

 

 

 

 

We have finished our first Advent project. A couple weeks ago I began thinking about how we would count down to Christmas. Most years we buy something but this year I wanted to save money and make something that we would cherish through the years. We have a small faux alpine tree with white lights so I decided that we would use that tree along with numbered Christmas stars to countdown. We bought the stars, painted, and numbered them. It was a lot of fun and the girls got to help. They really turned out nicely and I am just thrilled at how they look. We will be making Jesse Tree ornaments this weekend to tie in our beliefs with holiday preparations. We want to keep the focus on the birth of Jesus and the celebration of the blessed nativity. 

 

We also made our first batch of holiday cookies. Lemon Coconut Biscotti. ( It will be going to work with James tomorrow) This recipe was shared with me by my friend, Terri. She has graciously shared her biscotti making secrets with me. I have made them several times and they always turn out beautifully. It is a nice treat with an afternoon tea or morning coffee. Enjoy! 

 

Lemon Coconut Biscotti 

1 cup Sugar 

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 eggs ( let sit to room temperature)

1/4 tsp. lemon oil or lemon extract 

grated peel of one lemon

3 cups Flour 

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder 

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup of shredded coconut flakes

Coarse or sprinkling sugar 

1 egg white beaten with 1 tsp. of water 

1/2 cup of slivered almonds

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper 

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl and whisk together making sure all the ingredients are well blended. Set aside for the moment. 

Combine butter and sugar in mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time letting each egg incorporate into the batter. Add lemon oil or extract and using microplane zest lemon right over bowl. 

Start adding dry ingredients slowly. ( Spoonful by spoonful so as to not overwhelm your creamed mixture. Stir in coconut flakes and almonds by hand. Put dough in refrigator for 15-20 minutes to firm up the dough. After dough as chilled, divide into two and shape into logs and place on parchment sheet. Shape the log into 11 inch and 2 inch wide. Brush the tops with beaten egg whites and sprinkle coarse sugar. 

 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Let cool on pan for a few minutes then transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Then cut the biscotti log on a diagonal, about 1/2 inch slices. Place the cut slices back on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on one side then flip and bake for another 10 minutes. 

Transfer to cooling rack and enjoy! 

 

Once you have the basic recipe down, you can play around with different types of biscotti. Another favorite of mine is cranberry with white chocolate chips and cranberry walnut orange.