Breakfast Biscotti

Now I get to post what I’ve been saving. And believe me this is worth the wait… on a bunch of levels.

There are all kinds of reasons to start a food blog. For me so far, it’s a way to connect with family and friends all over the world and let them know what’s going on in my kitchen (Hi K, Hi A!). I’ve said before, a big theme in my life has always been to learn and then share what I learn. That’s why I like to include the process of whatever it is I’m doing.

But blogging brings unexpected gifts too. People come into your life with a shared passion. People like my fellow bloggers in Los Angeles who are part of the FBLA group and people who’ve found my blog and have become followers… and who sometimes grow into friends.

When I went to Israel, one of those people, nutty about food, family & life drove up from Ra’anana to Carmel to visit me. That passionate woman heads up an online food forum and is just now beginning her own food blog, spotsonpots.  It’s clever. It’s witty. It’s charming. Pretty much, a reflection of her. And that, in my humble opinion, is a recipe for success.

So last month, I was honored to speak at a physician’s conference on my reflections of living my life while doing kidney dialysis for almost 39 years. I talked about education, attitude, and expectation. I encouraged the docs to view themselves as champions for their patients (Novio, who sat in the front row taping the whole thing, told me later he thought for sure I would break into my rendition of Queen‘s We Are the Champions, My Friend… and we’ll keep on fighting to the end…I’ll admit- it was playing in the background in my head while I was speaking).

So I’ll let you in on a little known fact about me. I don’t just pack clothes & shoes & toiletries. I pack snacks. I have been known to minimize shoes so I can maximize snacks. I like to bring some fresh fruit, a little string cheese, some crackers, maybe something home-baked that I can grab for a quick pick-me-up.

Hanni goes and posts this gem on her new food blog and I knew. These little guys were going with us to Vegas!!

Breakfast Biscotti on-the-go

Here’s what it takes-

rolled oats mixed with brown sugar and a little hot milk ( a very nice moistening trick)

mix up some seeds – mix up some dried fruit

… and you get a thick batter

Repeat after me: No trapezoid, Rectangle

slice, stand up & bake again

FROM Hanni’s brand new spotsonpots.com. food blog. Check it out by clicking here.

Breakfast Biscotti
Adapted, with minor changes from Alice Medrich’s Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies

(another thank you… this book is awesome- where have I been- am definitely getting this one!)

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325° (160° C). Position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.

Combine flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and oats.

Heat the milk and butter (or oil) in a small pot or microwave until the milk is hot and the butter is melted. Combine the hot milk mixture with the oat mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Whisk eggs and vanilla into softened oat mixture. Stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the nuts and cranberries (or other dried fruit). The batter will be very thick.

Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan. Spread it to form a 5 x 12 in. (12 x 30 cm) rectangle, about 3/4 in. (2 cm) thick. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until firm and starting to color around the bottom edges. Rotate the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.

Set the pan on a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 300° F (150° C).

Transfer the loaf carefully to a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife and a sawing motion, cut the loaf crosswise into 1/2-inch (a bit less than 1 1/2 cm) slices.

Transfer the slices back to the baking sheet, standing them at least 1/2 inch (11/2 cm) apart. Bake for 20 minutes to toast without over browning, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time.

Makes about 20 biscotti. We can’t resist these and munch on them whenever and wherever! Thanks again, Hanni!

To freeze or not to freeze, that is the question.