Gifts from the Kitchen

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Originally uploaded by watchjennybake.

I often make baked goods as gifts for the holidays, and this year was no exception. I have been wanting to make biscotti for years but this was the first time I had tried it. I'll do it again, they were so easy. I won't include the recipe, because it is just another one from The Baker's Field Guide to Christmas Cookies, and I've given you enough of those. It's like my cookbook of the month.

These biscotti, though, are perfect for the holidays. The red of the cranberry, the slight green of the pistachio.... the dough is fragrant with vanilla and lemon, and they had a lot more flavor than I expected. I originally meant to get some white chocolate to dip the ends in but forgot. Without it they were probably easier to dip in coffee or tea though. For some of my friends, I made little tea gifts with loose tea, disposable/fillable tea bags, and biscotti; a type of relaxation gift. Biscotti have a long shelf life, and would probably ship well, but mine got consumed too quickly to test that theory out. The dough has eggs but no fat, so that plus the baking twice gives them a dry consistency that is perfect for dunking.

The second recipe is for the dogs, literally. My husband's stepmother is mother to some basset hounds and foster parent to even more. The Daily Drool is a web site for basset hound owners and fans, and that is the source of this recipe. Bailey, my beagle, can smell these a mile a way and highly recommends them. This year I made these for friends with dogs and sent them off, much to Bailey's chagrin. Luckily he received some from Janice so he didn't suffer much!

Daily Drool Peanut Butter Basset Biscuits
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 to 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 1/2 cups hot water

Mix all ingredients, adding more hot water if dough is too sticky. Knead well. Roll out to 1/4 inch and cut into shapes with cookie cutter. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool in oven overnight.

Jenny's notes: Bailey wanted me to make sure to mention that cat and bone shaped treats are the best.

I usually make a half batch of this, which fills one cookie sheet perfectly. These can go bad quickly if not fully dried out, so definitely don't skip the step of leaving them in the oven overnight. Then store them in an airtight container.

Categories: Biscotti, Cranberry, Dog Treats, Peanut Butter, Pistachio