Giadas Ceci Pistachio And Almond Mix Food

ROASTED CECI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Spread garbanzo beans on half sheet pan, dribble olive oil over them and use your (clean) hands to mix.
• Roast for 40 minutes, shaking the pan every 12 minutes or so, until quite brown and crisp.
• (May leave in oven for another hour or two at 250 to 275 for additional crisping.).
• Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
• Cool. Serve.
• Can recrisp, if necessary, by heating for 5 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

PISTACHIO, CHERRY AND CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Combine the biscotti, butter and sugar in a food processor. Blend until the mixture forms moist crumbs that stick together when pressed. Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until golden and feels firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Spread the cherry preserves over the cooled crust leaving a 1/2 to 1-inch border.
• For the filling: Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the dried cherries and 1/2 cup of the pistachios. Pour the chocolate filling over the cherry preserves and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup pistachios on top. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.
• Loosen the tart from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the edge. Unmold the tart and transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt flakes, if using. Cut into wedges and serve.

LIMONCELLO AND ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Using a hand-held mixer, beat together the egg whites and salt in a medium bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar and continue to beat until very soft peaks form, another 2 minutes. Add the almond flour, slivered almonds, limoncello and lemon zest and use a rubber spatula to stir and fold until just combined. Scoop heaping 1 tablespoon mounds onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake, rotating the trays halfway through, until lightly brown on the edges, about 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the tray. Dust with the confectioners' sugar and serve with coffee.

DRIED CHERRY AND ALMOND COOKIES WITH VANILLA ICING

Steps:

• For the Cookies:
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in the egg. Add the flour and beat on the lowest speed until just blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dried cherries and almonds.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance).
• Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the log crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Transfer the dough slices to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges and puffed, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing, about 30 minutes.
• For the Icing:
• Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the vanilla extract and water, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture becomes a drizzling consistency. (Makes about 2/3 cups icing, enough to ice both variations.)
• Put the cooled cookies on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or a fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 1 hour.
• Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.
• Cook's Note Alternative:
• Replace the dried cherries with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots and add 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts. Also, use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and omit the almond extract.

GIADA'S CECI, PISTACHIO AND ALMOND MIX

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375degrees F.
• Place garbanzo beans on a baking sheet.
• Drizzle with 1 T olive oil and toss to coat thoroughly.
• Spread the beans in a single layer.
• Bake until dark golden--about 40 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients (sugar, rosemary, thyme, sea salt and cayenne) with 3 T olive oil.
• Remove the beans from the oven and combine with the pistachios and almonds.
• Pour the seasoning mixture over the beans and nuts and toss to coat thoroughly.
• Return mixture to the baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Bake for 10 to 15 more minutes.
• Let cool and serve (or store).

PISTACHIO-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest and beat just until combined. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Add the nuts and anise seeds and mix until combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a 12-inch-long log. Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on the diagonal into 1/2 -inch-thick slices. Place the biscotti cut side up on the lined baking sheet and bake for an additional 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store the biscotti in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the almonds, flour and zest in a medium bowl. Stir the sugar, butter, cream, and honey in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the almond mixture. Cool the batter for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using 2 teaspoons of batter for each cookie, spoon 8 mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart (the cookies will spread). Flatten the batter slightly with your finger.
• Bake the cookies until they are lacy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Gently slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a rack and cool completely. Transfer the cookies to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter, lining the baking sheets with clean parchment for each batch. (The cookies can be made up to this point 2 months ahead. Cool completely, then store airtight in the freezer. Defrost before continuing.)
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Spread the melted chocolate over the bottom of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom side down, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate.

TOASTED CECCHI, ALMONDS, AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the garbanzo beans on a foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread the beans in a single layer. Place in the oven and bake until golden, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the garbanzo beans from the oven. Add the remaining ingredients to the garbanzo beans and carefully stir to coat all the beans and nuts. Spread the mixture out to a single layer. Bake for 10 more minutes. Let cool slightly and place in serving bowls.

ALMOND BARK MIX

Steps:

• Melt almond bark in microwave according to package.
• In large bowl, combine everything except the almond bark and M&M's.
• Mix well.
• Pour warm almond bark over mixture and gently mix.
• Add M&M's and mix again.
• Pour onto waxpaper and let harden.
• Break apart and store in an airtight container.

ALMOND PISTACHIO MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grate the almond paste on the large holes on a grater; until you have about 1 3/4 packed cups.
• In an electric mixer (preferably a heavy duty one with a paddle blade), combine the grated paste and the granulated sugar on low speed for about 2 minutes, mixing until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar and keep mixing for about a minute until it's well combined.
• Increase the speed to medium and add the egg whites, vanilla, and salt and mix until it's just combined (the dough will be wet and sticky) then add 1/3 cup of the chopped pistachios to complete the dough.
• Place remaining chopped pistachios in a shallow dish.
• Roll the dough into 1-tablespoon sized balls, then dip one side of each ball into the reserved chopped pistachios to coat only that side.
• Place cookies, pistachio side up and 1 inch apart, on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and press each one lightly so that they adhere to the paper.
• Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes and until the tops are evenly colored and the bottoms are smooth and golden brown when lifted carefully with a metal spatula.
• Let the macaroons cool on the baking sheets, then pull them gently off the parchment paper.
• They can be stored for up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
• Makes about 30 cookies.