I think you either love or hate this holiday, and I know a lot of people hate it.  I realize that despite the business it draws, restaurants must hate this day.  I showed up last night for a 5 pm dinner reservation at Brasserie Beck (the only time available when making a reservation 2 weeks in advance) and the hostess was already starting to lose it.  While we were waiting to be seated, some poor idiot called and asked if there were any tables left.  “No,” she said, clutching her head, “we are completely booked.  The restaurant is completely booked.”  I got the feeling she’d probably had this conversation countless times that day.

As we were escorted to the table, it dawned on me.  Eating out on Valentine’s Day is like the dining equivalent to flying on Thanksgiving weekend.  All sorts of people who normally never eat out or come into the city pop out of the woodwork for this one day.  They’re like those infuriating people in the security line who somehow haven’t heard about the 3 oz liquids rule.  You can usually tell just by looking — there’s the  guy in sloppy jeans and sneakers; the girl in an inappropriately tiny dress with inappropriately high heels; and that horrible couple that keeps making out at the table across from you.

As for me, I like Valentine’s Day.  But not because I like roses or chocolates or fancy dinners.  Don’t get me wrong–I like all of those things very much, but you can have them any day of the week if you really want them.  No, I like Valentine’s Day for far, far nerdier reasons.  I like Valentine’s Day in the same way that the staff at Martha Stewart Living likes Valentine’s Day: it’s an excuse to make beautiful, delicious things.  As I kid, I loved making paper Valentine’s.  Actually, I’d really love it if someone gave me some construction paper and glitter glue right now.  Now that I’m older, I like the excuse to bake something in the shape of a heart and put pink frosting on it.

Last year, I decided to indulge myself and I made a myriad of chocolate and vanilla cut out cookies.  I sandwiched some of them with raspberry jam and covered the others with all sorts of pink and red designs.  It was delightful. This year, I was felled by a bout of stomach flu and couldn’t make any cookies.  Well, I suppose I could have, but I wouldn’t have been able to eat any, and  no one wants cookies made by a germy person, no matter how pretty they are.  I’ll just have to wait until next year.

© Alicia for Kitchen Wench, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Brasserie Beck, chocolates, cookies, dinner, frosting, pink, red, roses, valentine's day

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Biscotti is one of those cookies that can be hit or miss.  I have nearly broken a tooth on dry, flavorless store-bought biscotti.  I know you’re supposed to dunk them in coffee, but I believe a good biscotti should taste delightful even by itself.  I’ve been tinkering with this recipe for years, starting with the original version for Chocolate-Dipped Cherry-Hazelnut Biscotti.  The first time I made it, I thought the orange zest was overpowering, and dipping the biscotti in chocolate was messy and time consuming.  However, I kept the recipe because I always ship some cookies at Christmas, and biscotti are very sturdy and keep for several weeks.  Instead, I started tweaking the recipe a little bit each year.  I dropped the orange zest and swapped out hazelnuts for almonds.  I tried mixing in chocolate chips, which tasted good if inauthentic.  This year I decided to simplify by ditching the chocolate altogether and enhancing the nuts with Amaretto.  The resulting cookie has the rich almond flavor and crunchy (but not rock hard) texture that I’ve been looking for all this time.

Dried Cherry and Almond Biscotti

Adapted from Bon Appetit

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Amaretto liqueur
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups  all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups blanched, slivered almonds
• 1 3/4 cups dried tart cherries (about 8 1/2 ounces)

1.  Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in top third of oven and preheat to 325°F.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  In small bowl, toss dried cherries with a spoonful of extra flour until they are lightly coated.  This is to prevent the cherries from sticking to each other.

3.  Using an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter in very large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time just until blended.  Beat in extracts and Amaretto.  Turn mixer on low and gradually add flour one cup at a time until fully incorporated.  Add the dried cherries and almond slivers.   The dough will be quite stiff at this point.  Depending on your mixer,  it may be easier to stir the cherries and almonds in by hand.

4.  Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.  On a floured work surface, shape each piece into a 9-inch-long by 3-inch-wide log. Place 2 logs on each on 2  parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart (logs will spread during baking). Bake until logs are golden and feel firm when tops are gently pressed, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking, about 45-50 minutes.  Cool logs on baking sheets for 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

5.  Carefully slide the logs onto a large cutting board. (Logs will be softest in the middle, so take care that they do not break apart.)  Using a very sharp serrated knife, cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Cutting with a gentle sawing motion will help keep the slices from crumbling.  If your knife is too dull, the log will crumble and the cherries may stick to the blade.

6.  Arrange slices cut side down on the baking sheets. Bake biscotti 10 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until light golden, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer to racks and cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.  Biscotti keep in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

© Alicia for Kitchen Wench, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: almond, almond biscotti, almonds, Amaretto, amaretto liqueur, biscotti, cherry, christmas, cookies, dried cherries, Italian cookie, recipe

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Homemade Marshmallows from Alton Brown

Martha Stewart’s Pecan Bars

Almond Cherry Biscotti (recipe forthcoming)

Bittersweet Mocha Cookies from Fine Cooking

Smitten Kitchen’s Brownie Roll-Out Cookies

Jam Thumbprint Trios

Coconut Snowballs and Itty Bitty Gingerbread Men

Peppermint Meringues

© Alicia for Kitchen Wench, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: alton brown, Baking, biscotti recipe, cherry biscotti, christmas, christmas cookies, coconut, cookies, fine cooking, gingerbread men, homemade marshmallows, martha stewart, meringues, pecan bars, peppermint, size image, snowballs, thumbnails

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