Any kind of travel originating from our house equals a cooking frenzy prior to take-off. Doesn't matter if take-off actually includes flight or only a road-trip, we travel like royalty. By that I mean we take our own 'plate' and 'linen' or at least our own food. The days of loving fast-food junk and gas-stop snacks are so far in the distant past as to be impossible to recall, and airport fare is only to be ingested to stave off imminent starvation - real starvation, not just the I'm-dying-of-hunger feeling that hits about 4 hours post-dining. So the day or two before we (or in this particular case David) leave I bust out the bowls and pans, make a terrible mess and a wonderful aroma, ending the day with a triumphant feeling of accomplishment and a bunch of travel-friendly eats.
When the destination is Japan our bags always include gifts for friends and colleagues there. Every trip we deliberate over what to take - the problem being that in our minds every cool thing that anyone could want comes from Japan so what could possibly be a welcome gift? And every trip we arrive at the same conclusion: everyone eats so .... something delicious. Here is where problem 2 raises its ugly head - what is delicious to one may not be delicious to another, especially (but not exclusively) when there are culture gaps. For example, the Japanese find many of our sweet treats cloyingly sweet and very unappealing while we North Americans need to train our palates to appreciate the subtleties of their very excellent deep dark chocolate. Then of course, it must travel well and arrive not only fresh but pretty, or at least not a melted mess or a pile of crumbs. Happily I have happened upon a few options that are now tried and true to the point of being eagerly anticipated by the recipients. One of the stops David makes every trip is the office he headed while we lived in Tokyo. The staff there have a particular fondness for this biscotti and have requested the recipe. This post is for the "office ladies" at COFI Japan.
This recipe is a long-time favourite at our house. I started making biscotti when I happened on the intriguing recipe in an adorable little cookbook of cookie recipes by Mary Engelbreit (1998). The first batch was a big hit and as the process is fast, super simple, and yields a nice amount for the work a household star was born. David loves these crunchy, dunkable cookies at least as much as the COFI staff. I have tried a few other options for the add-ins (most recently cacao nibs, dark chocolate, and tart dried cherries - a combination I thought most promising but David prefers the cranberry-pistachio duo). I was interested to find a recipe that promised to be the penultimate biscotti recipe published in Chatelaine magazine before Christmas 2013. That recipe was only grains away from the one I had been using but even so, I wondered if those grains would be the difference between .... I don't know what?! Naturally I tried the Chatelaine recipe and wouldn't you know it? those grains did make all the difference. I keep the sweet little M.E. cookbook but won't be looking back for the biscotti recipe. The only change I make to the Chatelaine recipe is to add a smidgeon of almond extract.
Although the recipe was published as a Christmas cookie, we have liberated it to whole-year status. The red and green of the cranberries and pistachio does make a lovely statement wholly in keeping with a Christmas theme but I ignore that element and celebrate the nutritional goodness of both add-ins as daily requirements. To be sure, these are not to be eaten for your health but mental health is important too, right?
Just have to say that although I don't love the actual trip, I do wish I was in Japan with David right now.
cranberry-pistachio biscotti
(from Chatelaine magazine)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose white flour*
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup chopped pistachios
1 cup dried cranberries
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and heat your oven to 325 F. Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until very creamy - about 5 minutes. Beat the eggs in 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in the flour mixture and then the pistachios and cranberries. The mixture will be a bit dry but should hold together. Gather the dough together and divide into two. Using your hands shape the portions into logs that are roughly 1" high x 2" wide on the parchment lined baking sheet. If the dough sticks to your hands (and makes you a bit crazy) you can dampen your hands with cold water - just don't use too much water, dampen is the key. The logs should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake until the tops are firm and golden - about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool until you can handle them (about 10 minutes). Using a serrated knife cut into diagonal slices about 1/2" thick. The next bit is a little like playing dominoes - stand the slices on their edges with space between them on the baking sheet. Return to the oven and continue baking for 20-30 minutes more.
These keep very well. If they have a chance :)
* Gluten-free flour mix works very successfully here. Another option that I like is to use 1 cup of cornmeal and 1 1/4 cups flour or gluten-free flour mix. I have a particular love for the crunch of cornmeal.
Yesterday I was introduced to a beautiful, new-to-me blog The First Mess. I scrolled through post after post and recipe after recipe, mentally bookmarking every single one! There are food blogs galore and many of them filled with interesting options but this is the very first one that has appealed to me so strongly. I do believe I will have to approach it in the Julie and Julia fashion (minus the craziness) - a recipe a day until I have conquered the lot! Seriously, every single recipe begs me to make it.
Accordingly, first thing this morning I rolled out of our lazy-Saturday-morning-bed knowing exactly what breakfast would be. These breakfast cakes are a little more involved than many of their kin but oh my! with every bite your mind sings "worth every moment" - not that they take all that many moments, just a few more than ... buttermilk pancakes or what have you. More than healthy, more than delicious - these are perfect. The crunch of the quinoa, the mellowness of the almond, the fragrance of the coconut, the caramelled bananas... mmmwha!! I made a couple of very minimal changes to the recipe as written on The First Mess - basically tweaked the method because I am lazy. Not having tried Laura's method and thus having no true basis for comparison, I may not be in a position to make this claim but I would venture that the shortcuts were not made to the detriment of the cakes. I also opted to throw in an egg because I firmly believe that eggs are good for you. If you wanted to make these gluten-free simply swap the spelt flour for your favourite all-purpose gf mix.
David's take? I quote: (After the first bite and through a full mouth) "these are yummy!" and a few minutes later "top of my list for pancakes". Take that seriously folks - he is somewhat of a connoisseur. For what it is worth, I totally agree. Definite make agains.
And if you are not yet a fan of The First Mess I can promise you a lovely visit if you go. From the pics to the food. Perfect.
coconut, almond, banana & quinoa breakfast cakes
(from The First Mess)
2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, divided + extra for pan
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup black quinoa
1 cup milk of your choice (I used almond)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup whole spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp coconut palm sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 cup almond flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 bananas, sliced
cacao nibs, maple syrup, strawberries, and greek yogurt for serving
First cook the quinoa: in a small saucepan melt 1/2 Tbsp of the coconut oil. When it is liquid and fragrant add the cinnamon, give that a quick stir and then stir in the quinoa with a pinch of sea salt. Let that toast up a bit and then add a scant cup of water to the pan. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for about 15 minutes. If there is any water left in the pan drain it off and let the quinoa cool.
Add the lemon juice to the milk and set aside for 5 minutes or so to curdle. Then add the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.
In a medium bowl combine the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, coconut sugar, sea salt, and almond flour.
Add the remaining 2 Tbsp coconut oil to the cooling quinoa. Since the coconut oil melts at such a low temperature it will easily melt into the quinoa. Stir it all together and scrape the lot into the flour mixture. Add the milk, egg, vanilla mixture to that and gently fold everything together until it is evenly mixed.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and brush with coconut oil. Drop the batter by 1/4 cup-fuls onto the hot pan. (If the batter is thick you may need to spread it a bit with the bottom of the scoop) Press 3 or 4 banana slices into the top of the batter. Flip when bubbles form on the top and the bottom is browned.
Serve with a dollop of yogurt, a handful of sliced strawberries, a sprinkle of cacao nibs, and a dribble (or a pour) of maple syrup. Really, truly perfect.
The changes I made were:
-add the cacao nibs after baking the cakes because adding heat to raw cacao seems a bit ridiculous to me.
-melt the coconut oil into the quinoa and use almond flour instead of using almond meal that is blended together with the coconut oil. One less dirty appliance and one less step.
-add the egg and vanilla to the curdled milk
-strawberries. Because I love berries and pancakes. And because they are just one more layer of good for you.
