Diabetic Holiday Biscotti Food

HOLIDAY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.
• Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
• Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.
• The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

DIABETIC HOLIDAY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat until combined.
• Beat in the 3/4 cup egg whites, vanilla, and almond extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer, adding the Splenda with the first two flour additions.
• Stir in any remaining flour; the anise and fennel seeds; and the cranberries, pistachios, and apricots with a wooden spoon.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or till dough is easy to handle.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 12-inch-long log 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
• Place logs at least 3 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten each log slightly to 3/4-inch thickness.
• Combine egg and 1 tablespoon water.
• Brush over logs.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or till light brown.
• Cool logs on cookie sheet 1 hour or till completely cool.
• When logs are cool, preheat oven to 325 dgrees F. Transfer logs to a cutting board.
• Cut each log diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Lay slices down on cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
• Turn slices over, and bake 5 minutes more or till dry and crisp.
• Remove and cool on wire racks. Makes about 48.
• TO STORE:: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

DIABETIC DUNKING BISCOTTI

Steps:

• In bowl combine flour, sweetener, baking powder nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
• In another bowl cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs , vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in flour mixture and nuts. (Hands work well here).
• Divide dough in half. Shape into 2 logs 2 inches (5cm) wide and 12inches(30cm) long.
• Spray baking sheet with nonstick coating. Bake bars at 325 degrees ( 160C) for about 25 minute or until golden brown. Remove and cool for 5 minutes.
• Cut each bar (diagonally) into 21 slices about ½ inch (1cm) thick. Lay slices on baking sheet: return to 300F (150C) oven and bake 10 minutes more to dry. Remove to wire rack to cool completely before storing in airtight container.
• Kitchen tip:.
• Roast hazelnuts in a shallow pan in 350°F.
• (180C) oven for 10 minutes. Rub the warm nuts vigorously in a tea towel to remove the bitter skins.

DIABETIC LEMON BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a food processor or in a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar substitute, and baking powder. Add the margarine and pulse until mixture forms fine crumbs (if working in a bowl, cut in margarine with a pastry blender or two knives).
• Add egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
• Pulse until mixture forms a dough around the blade (mixing in a bowl, stir until moistened and gathers into dough).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
• Knead 2 or 3 times, adding additional flour if needed (dough should be sticky).
• Form dough into a log about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, transfer log to the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet, set on a rack for 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 275°F (135°C).
• With a sharp knife, cut the log diagonally into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) slices then cut each slice in half.
• Arrange the half slices, standing upright on the baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Transfer biscotti to wire racks to cool. Once cool, store in airtight containers until ready to serve.

LEMON GINGER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• preheat oven to 350 combine flour, sugar, baking soda, ginger and salt in a large bowl.
• stir in crystallized ginger.
• mix lemon rind, lemon juice and eggs together and stir into flour mixture.
• the dough will be crumbly.
• turn dough out to a lightly floured surface, knead 7-8 times.
• divide dough in half.
• shape each half into a log.
• spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray, place logs 6" apart.
• combine water and eggwhite and brush over tops.
• sprinkle with sugar.
• bake for 20 minutes.
• remove to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
• slice each log diagonally into 3/4" slices.
• place back on baking sheet, upright.
• lower oven to 325.
• bake 20 minutes, remove to a wire rack, cool.

BUTTER PECAN BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.
• Beat butter and sugars at high speed until blended. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until the sugar grains are dissolved and the batter forms ribbons when falling off the beaters.
• Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients until smooth, stiff and a little sticky. Using a wooden spoon, mix in 1 cup butterscotch chips and 1 cup pecans. (Note: if you have a very sharp knife that will cleanly cut through the nuts without breaking the cookie, then you can leave the nuts as large as you like. Otherwise, consider chopping the pecans into smaller pieces.).
• Divide dough into fourths. Take each quarter and shape into logs about 8 inches long. Smooth the dough so that the logs have a uniform thickness from top to bottom, square off the tips of the logs as well. Place onto the parchment paper two inches apart flatten the tops slightly. (Note: this yield a nice 2-3 inch cookie suited for holiday trays and smaller bites. If you prefer a larger dunking biscotti, create just 2 or 3 logs and adjust cooking time accordingly.)
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until logs are set and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove biscotti from the oven and let cool on cookie sheet(s) 15 minutes. Transfer to cutting board.
• Using serrated knife or a very sharp chefs knife, cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch wide slices. A slight sawing motion may help with the cutting here. Place slices close together, cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Return to oven and bake 5 to 6 minutes. Turn each slice; bake an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
• Melt remaining butterscotch chips with shortening in a double boiler or in a microwave. Drizzle over each cookie.

HOLIDAY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with a light coat of cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, baking soda, salt, eggs and extracts together.
• Add in the almond flour and 2 cups of all purpose flour and mix with a large wooden spoon.
• Begin stirring in the nuts and candied fruit. Sprinkle in the remain 1/4 cup of flour. At this point you will need to put the spoon down and knead by hand. Knead 8 or 9 times until the fruit and nuts are well distributed.
• Divide the dough in half and shape into logs about 9-10 inches long. Be sure that your logs are of an even width from top to bottom. Place on baking sheet several inches apart and lightly flatten the top. (Note the width of the loaves will double in baking.).
• In a small bowl, combine egg and water and blend. Using a pastry brush apply a light egg wash to the tops of each loaf.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on rack for 8-10 minutes.
• Take loaves and slice on diagonal making wedges 1/2 inch thick. Place slices on baking sheet cut sides up and bake for 3-5 minutes. Turn the cookies over and return to the oven and bake an additional 5-8 minutes. Cookies will be dry and crisp to the touch.
• Place on rack and allow to cool completely before storing.
• Note: For holiday trays you can also make smaller biscotti by dividing the dough into 3 loaves. Reduce initial baking time to 25 minutes. Use the lower ranges in the times given for the second baking. In thirds, my loaves were about 4 inches long, longer when cut on the diagonal.

HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place almonds into a 8 or 9-inch square pan; bake until golden, 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
• Coarsely chop almonds, set aside for now.
• In large bowl, using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, molasses and ginger until smooth.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
• In a bowl, stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and the almonds.
• Add into the egg mixture; stir to blend.
• On 2 greased 12x15-inch baking sheets with floured hands, pat dough into 4 flat loaves.
• Space evenly on sheets; each loaf about 1/2-inch thick, 2 inches wide and the length of the baking sheet.
• Bake until browned at edges and springy to the touch, about 25 minutes. Switch positions of pans halfway through baking.
• Let loaves stand on sheets until cool enough to touch, then cut into long, 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices.
• On baking sheets, arrange slices close together with cut side down.
• Return to oven bake 15 to 18 minutes longer; switch positions of pans halfway through baking.