Summer Quilt and Recipe Show

Good day!  I'm participating in the Summer Fair:  A Quilt & Recipe Show put on by genX Quilters.  I'm so glad you've joined me.  We got nice weather for the fair, don't you think?

For this summer fair, I'm entering my Flip Flop quilt.  What could be more summery than that?  I made this quilt using fusible applique with ribbon and button embellishments, and I did the free motion quilting on my domestic sewing machine.  I hope you like my quilt.

                     

But that's not all.  I'm also entering my recipe for Cranberry, Orange and White Chocolate Biscotti.  This makes a great Christmas gift.  Because there is no butter in the mix, the biscotti will stay nice a crisp for up to a month if kept in an airtight container.  You can also make it using other dried fruits and citrus if you prefer something different.  Try it with dried tart cherries and lemon zest, and substitute almond extract for the vanilla.  Give it as a gift, or refuse to share and keep it all for yourself!

Cranberry, Orange and White Chocolate Biscotti

1 cup  sugar
2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon  vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups  flour
2 teaspoons  baking powder
1/4 teaspoon  table salt
1/2 cup  dried cranberries -- chopped
2 tablespoons  minced zest from 1 orange
White chocolate for melting
Small amount of cream for thinning, if necessary
Non-stick cooking spray (with flour, if available)

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.  Stir in cranberries.  Set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the sugar, eggs, and yolks at medium-high speed to a light lemon color; mix in the vanilla extract and the orange zest.  Turn speed to medium-low and add the flour and cranberry mixture to the egg mixture slowly until fully incorporated.  Dough will appear dry and crumbly, but should draw together into a ball.

Split dough into 2 sections on the baking sheet about 4 inches apart.  Lightly oil hands and bench scraper with non-stick cooking spray.  Form dough into 2-inch wide, 3/4-inch thick, and about 8-inch long planks, using the bench scraper to even out sides and ends.  Lightly pat tops with your hands until smooth.  Bake until light golden brown and starting to crack on top, about 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a wire rack.

Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.  When cool enough to handle (a few minutes), use a wide metal spatula to transfer the loaves to a cutting board.  With a serrated knife, cut each loaf diagonally into 3/8-inch thick slices.  Lay the slices slightly apart on the baking sheet, cut-side up, and return them to the oven.  Bake, turning over each cookie halfway through baking, until crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes.  Remove baking sheet from oven and place on a rack.  Cool biscotti completely on baking sheet. 

Melt white chocolate in the microwave or on a double boiler.  Chocolate should be the consistency of maple syrup.  If it is too thick for drizzling, add heavy cream sparingly (about 1 tablespoon at a time) until it reaches the desired consistency.  (Do not add too much cream.)  When biscotti is completely cool, dip one end of the biscotti in the melted chocolate or drizzle over entire cookie.  Cool until chocolate hardens (in the refrigerator).  Keep in an airtight container for up to a month.

Thanks for stopping by my booth!  For more fair entries, click on the image at the top of this post.