Cherry Almond Biscotti

I love biscotti (see other biscotti post here to prove this love). To me, they are the perfect cookie, breakfast and dessert all-in-one. The best way to have them is in the morning, dunked in a cup of hot coffee. Don’t be intimidated by the thought of making biscotti; they are easy to make, and really nice to have on hand.

These biscotti are of the cherry almond variety, with a handful of shredded coconut for good measure. The coconut is subtle, but adds a really lovely flavor. I used a good amount of almond flour in these, which adds a great texture as well as a nice healthy dose of protein. If you can’t find almond flour, take almonds and wizz them around in the food processor until they are finely chopped like flour, but not for too long or you’ll end up with almond butter.

Cherry Almond Biscotti
makes 14-16 biscotti cookies

1 1/2 cup unbleached cake flour (I used King Arthur unbleached cake flour)
2-3 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup non-gmo canola oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw, sliced almonds

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit and line a large baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, use a wire whisk to beat together the sugar, oil, almond milk, extracts, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients: flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Very gently fold in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. When the dough just starts to come together, add the cherries, sliced almonds and coconut and fold into the dough. Form the dough  into a long rectangle (log)and pat it down very lightly with clean, damp hands. Bake it for 30 minutes. The dough should be slightly puffed up, with a few little cracks in it. Turn off the oven, remove from oven and let cool for about one hour. Then, preheat the oven again to 325 degrees Farenheit. Carefully slice the baked dough into long slices about 1/2 inch to an inch thick. No need to turn these on their sides, as they will be fragile, but if you can slide them apart a little with the knife you used to cut them with so they have some room to get crisp. Bake for another 30 minutes until crisp. Allow the biscotti to cool for a half hour.

These biscotti have a really lovely flavor profile. The almond, cherry and coconut marry nicely. They would also taste good with a drizzle of chocolate over them. Or serve them with hot chocolate instead of coffee! It’s my opinion that biscotti make a beautiful gift, so why not make these as a Valentines Day gift? Wrap them up in red ribbon and you’re all set.

Whole Wheat Pancakes w/ Low-Sugar Apple-Berry Compote

Happy New Year! This year I am going to really  try to consume much less sugar! I don’t traditionally make new years resolutions, but after this past holiday season, cutting back on the sugar is really necessary. Also, I want to make more baked goods using whole wheat or gluten-free flours. We shall see. This recipe is a result of a near-empty pantry and a hunger for a good breakfast.

Usually we have oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, but the last 2 days we had to have these pancakes (oh dear). I wanted to make them healthy, hearty and satisfying. As a bonus, they are really fluffy, which is surprising for a wheat flour pancake. My secret to a fluffy wheat flour pancake: sparkling  (or soda) water. If you don’t have soda water, use regular water, or even more soymilk. But next time you’re out and about, pick up some sparkling water and make these pancakes! They are so good.

The fruit topping is very easy to make, and contains only a tablespoon of maple syrup in the entire recipe! The natural sugars from the fruit and the teeny bit from the maple syrup make it a perfect topping and substitute for syrups loaded with sugars. These are definitely pancakes you can feel good about eating. The topping is also good as a topping for vanilla soy ice cream, or chilled and eaten as is.

Whole Wheat Pancakes
makes 12-15 pancakes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cup soymilk (or any non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sparkling mineral water (such as San Pellegrino), or soda water
1 tablespoon melted vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

a few teaspoons of vegan butter (or cooking spray).

Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium heat. In a medium bowl, sift together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the soymilk with the apple cider vinegar and leave alone for one minute. Then, add the sparkling water, melted vegan butter, maple syrup and vanilla – and whisk together. Gently fold in the flour until just combined.

Add a teaspoon of vegan butter to the skillet and using a high-heat spatula, spread it around to coat the skillet. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop and pour pancake batter on the skillet. Cook until you see several tiny bubbles appear on the top of the pancake (about 1-3 minutes) and flip over; cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Repeat until batter is gone.

I made this fancy compote while I was cooking the pancakes. It’s very fast, easy, and delicious.

Apple-Berry Compote
1 large gala apple, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries (consisting of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries).
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a small sauce pan on medium-low heat, add the diced apple, frozen berries, maple syrup, vegan butter and cinnamon. Mix and cook for about 5-10 minutes.

This is a great recipe to add to your vegan breakfast or brunch menu. I hope you enjoy them, and hey if you do, let me know!

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