Mangia, Mangia! Italian biscotti from the Walla Walla Italian Heritage Association

Hello, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I bring delicious Italian goodness!!

I was at our homeschool girls' book club last week and spent a few glorious hours in a warm and beautiful kitchen, eating apple crisp with piles of real whipped cream topping! Even though I had eight BAZILLION things to do (like get my hair cut and go to Home Depot, those things are not related) I had a fabulous afternoon chatting and eating. Who cares if our refrigerator is on its last legs? Not me! Or at least, I don't care when I have a plate of warm apple crisp in front of me.

 

Now, as I was chowing down on that deliciousness, I spied a little cookbook on my friend Terri's shelf. You all know I love a good cookbook.

 But... I had an ulterior motive. See, Terri makes the most AMAZING biscotti. If I could get my hands on that recipe, I could have biscotti every day, as much as I wanted! A devious plan was hatched.

 She so sweetly let me borrow the cookbook. I got it home and started to page through it. You know how you can tell a person's favorite Bible verse by how the page looks? Well, I didn't have to look far for her favorite recipe. Past the braccioli, past the tarduci, past the cardiletti, the latte dulce and the cassata alla siciliana, there it was...

 Behold, the page of the biscotti recipe! Ooooo, I rubbed my hands together in maniacal glee! I was never going to want for biscotti again!

1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs
3 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp anise flavoring
1 c chopped nuts
 (The recipe was submitted by Pam Daltoso Hamilton, but there was another underneath by Anna Perfetto, and another by Mary Locati and another Carmy Destito, under that one by Rose Zaro.
Since Terri is a Biagi, I'm assuming she knows her biscotti. And if not, I'll just have to TRY THEM ALL.)

 So, I brought out the child labor and started chopping. Ignore his haircut. We've covered this.
(And that's a butter knife. It looks like a steak knife, but we've only had two trips to the ER in 13 years and I'd like to keep it that way.)

 Small child is having a wonderful time chopping walnuts from our tree. I don't have the heart to tell him that we only need a cup.

 Ooooh, what a pretty bowl! I wonder where I got that? It smells like... biscotti.

 So, cream the butter, sugar, eggs. In another bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Add them, mix well. Now add the nuts and the anise flavoring. (Of course, I didn't have anise flavoring. I don't even like anise. When I lived in France they drank anise liqueur and it was DISGUSTING. So, I'm assuming that vanilla will be just as good.)

 The dough will be very sticky. Grease the sheet well. Heat the oven to 350F. Shape the dough into long rolls.

 While the biscotti cooks for 30 minutes, browse the rest of the recipes.

 Edna is murmuring to herself. "Questa sembra delizioso!" A few minutes later, she makes a noise. Apparently, the pork sausage/ cinnamon spice cake was not meeting with her approval, even though it says it's great with a caramel frosting. I peeked over her shoulder and said she should definitely try the pizza-by-the-yard recipe. "Vorrei un piatto con formaggio..." she mutters. And there's even a recipe for making your own cheese that dries in a string in the basement! This book has everything! (Of course, we have no basement, but that's no matter...)

 The oven beeped and I checked the biscotti. They were huge and fluffy. But I'd set the timer for 20 minutes, just in case my oven ran hotter than the recipe needed. I put another ten minutes on. Edna was eyeing my new Pinterest activity. It's a heart cut from a map, and the place is my honeymoon. Edna snickered and said it looked like a broken heart! She's so funny. Now all I can see is a framed broken heart.                
     Che romantico!!

 After 30 minutes, remove the biscotti and let cool for 15 minutes. Slice diagonally. Put them back in the oven for ten minutes. This is what makes them super crispy.

 I couldn't even wait for them to cool. It was BISCOTTI time.

Now, I hear these keep well in tupper ware, but they were GONE by the next morning. It wasn't me, I only had two.
Okay, maybe four.
   ALL RIGHT. I lost count! I admit it! I'm a biscotti glutton!

 But now I have the secret recipe and an unending supply, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

  Fino alla prossimo volta, i miei amici!!

Cookies and Cream Filled Cupcakes

A couple of weeks ago, that mischief-inciting Yank, aka Ruthy, introduced us to a wonderful little gadget called the cupcake corer (you can see that post here). Since I love cupcakes, I immediately had to have one. And, once it arrived, my youngest son immediately wanted to make cupcakes. Lucky for me, school work kept him busy for the week, but by the weekend, all bets were off.

It took me a while to get across to him that you just don't make cupcakes and then decide to fill them. If we're going to do this, we at least need to have a plan. I knew the cupcakes would be chocolate, but it became his mission to decide what we were going to fill them with. And when the dust cleared, he'd come up with something I think you're going to love.

Cookies and Cream Filled Cupcakes

I started with my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. You can find that recipe here. Then we took turns playing with the cupcake corer, giving all the cupcakes big belly buttons. You can see our fun little tool hiding there in the back.

For the filling, you will need:

• 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
• 4 oz. butter, salted or unsalted (I only had unsalted, so that's what we went with)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 12 Double Stuff Oreos, pulverized

First, to take care of those Oreos. And no, that does not mean eating them. The recipe only calls for 12, so there are plenty left in the package for eating. Preferably with a nice cold glass of milk. :)

 

I put the 12 in my food processor and pulsed them until they were where I wanted them. Nice and crumbly, but not powdered. If you don't have a food processor, a zip-top plastic bag and a rolling pin can achieve the same results. Not to mention remove any pent up frustrations you might have.



 

Next, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla. Then the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

 

Fold in the crushed cookies.

 

Sample the fruits of your labor.

 

Mmmmm....

 

Now the recipe says to use the filling immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. Of course, if you do this, it will thicken. Since our cupcakes were waiting to have their tummies filled, I spooned the filling to a disposable decorator bag with the tip cut off to give me an opening that was just the right size for the holes I was filling. This didn't take long and got the job done with no mess at all.

 

However, once they were filled, I had to figure out what to frost them with. I mean what kind of frosting goes well with cookies and cream filling. My son suggested cookies and cream frosting, but I asserted my veto power. Instead, I opted for the chocolate frosting Ruthy touted in her post. (recipe here)

 

 

Yet for as wonderful as the frosting was, it was a little overpowering for the filling. Next time, I think I will just dip the tops in a simple layer of ganache. Because, after all, the filling really is the star of the show.

 

I'm curious, how many of us were lured by Ruthy's post and bought a cupcake corer? If so, have you played with it yet? Or are you still mulling over the endless possibilities? I'd love to hear what combinations you've come up with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not Quite the Flu

Today's post was going to be a step-by-step lesson in baking biscuits,

but then I got hit with the nasty bug that's been going around town, so the biscuits will have to wait until next week.

No, it isn't the flu, but has the same symptoms...sore throat, fever, and days of recovery. The only difference was that the fever isn't as high, and I can actually do things like...oh...think. Put words together coherently.

(Although, after reading this post, you may disagree with that last part!)

I had read Julie's post about preparing for the flu a couple weeks ago (you can re-read that post here - in fact, I recommend it), and I had done some preparation.

I have a chicken in the freezer, waiting to be made into stock. But it's still frozen, so that's no good. But I do have some of this:

And I have a good supply of my favorite tea:

So I doctored myself as best I could with plenty of fluids, plenty of rest and cough medicine when I wanted to get some sleep.

Meanwhile, the dogs had to make do and entertain themselves (chewies come in handy for times like these!)

We've noticed that Thatcher is one of those dogs who LOVES his food.

Well, not his food so much as everyone else's food.

Especially Wynter's. 

Because we feed him baby food, and he's not a baby. He wants to eat big dog food.

I call it "old lady food," since it's for "older" dogs.

But he doesn't care.

He just waits.

And waits.

Until she's done...and then wallows in disappointment when I put her dish up and he's forced to eat baby food. 

Again. 

Poor puppy.

(By the way, that shopping bag in the pictures? Best cat toy EVER!!!)

So, what is your favorite home remedy when a virus hits your house? Chat about it while I have another cup of chicken broth....

New Traditions

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The gratitude for the blessings of the past year. The pumpkin pie. The food coma and football. Love it all.

My grandmother's crossstitch and my grandfather's turkey candy dish are always a part of my decorations.

My favorite dish growing up was my mother's stuffing, specifically the little brown crust peeking out from the turkey when it was done. She got up early to dice celery and onions and then bake cornbread in my grandma's skillet . We woke up with the smell calling us to the kitchen. The stuffing was a mixture of the cornbread, Pepperidge Farm croutons, the veggies and broth.

The hours we waited for it made it worth it.I always felt like I couldn't move after I ate it and slept a nap that rivaled any bear's hibernation. DEFINITELY Food Coma. Turns out that happened because I was ALLERGIC to the wheat and the cornbread. Weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Yup, its that bad. It's like I lost a connection to the family.

My granddaddy with my sister and my Nanny holding me at my grandfather's train yard. Nanny was a great cook. So many of the family traditional recipes are hers.

Oh the emotional, family ties to food. That's why folks with allergies really appreciate it when their loved ones try to make dishes they can eat. It's tough being a person that goes to family events with a whole list of "can't eat that" echoing in her mind. Especially when you are the only one affected.  So it is good to have a go-to list of dishes to take along because families can be afraid to cook for those with allergies or just not have the knowledge. New traditions don't have to be tasteless but...

I know, I know. Creating new traditions can be hard. It's risky. The dish won't taste exactly the same. You just may not like giving up the memories of the old for the reality of the new. But no pain, no gain.
 

Not sure how I feel about the new tradition of holiday blow-ups. But I know my grandkidlets love them.

Looking at Thanksgiving this year, I knew I would miss stuffing the most. So I set out to create a moist, delicious stuffing that was good and good for me.

Hunting down GF croutons:

I hunted Whole Foods for Gluten Free Stuffing. Unfortunately for me it has corn product in it. Fortunately for me, I found SmartGrains Croutons.

They also make a stuffing but the store didn't have it. If you can't find a gluten-free stuffing, you can make croutons out of gluten-free bread by cutting it into cubes and toasting at 350 for about 15 minutes, turn off the oven and then let them sit in the oven overnight to dry.

Mix approximately one package (or two cups homemade croutons) in one cup chicken or turkey broth. Stir until croutons are moistened. You may need to add more broth. Let sit while you move forward with the other ingredients.

Less bread.

 The aroma of sauteed veggies: 
   
So thankful, the smell of one diced onion and one diced bunch of celery in 2 tablespoons of butter is still the same. But I am also making it new by adding a cup of grated carrots for Vitamin A and color. Fifteen minutes until the onion is translucent.

More veggies.

Mixing it up:
 
Add a half teaspoon of salt and the same of sage (optional) into the veggies and stir. Then add the moistened croutons and veggies all together, making sure all the croutons are moistened.  NOTE: Do not overstir! You want the croutons to fall apart. You don't want them to disintegrate.

Getting that crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 45 - 60 minutes until the top is brown and the moist stuffing is baked through and not quite as moist. Top with foil if necessary to prevent burning.

Yummm. Even Man O loved it. And I picked off every crusty bit for me.

And yes, it tastes like stuffing. I couldn't have the cornbread but I love this recipe. For a once or twice a year celebration, the expense of the croutons is worth it.

So what have you had to give up as a holiday food tradition? Have you made new ones? Do you have family members with allergies? How does your family handle it?  

49th Annual Ham and Egg Supper!

Missy, here. I wanted to share one of our church's traditions with you today. This past Wednesday, we had our 49th Annual Ham & Egg Supper!

First, on Tuesday, volunteers start by trimming the ham.

Which, by the way, is country ham. For those who don't know, it's salt cured, not your regular baked fresh ham. I LOVE country ham, but I usually love it best if it's soaked a bit to get some of the salt out. Something my dad always does to help cut the saltiness is to cook it in Coke. It cooks down and makes a nice glaze.

Here are a few of the volunteers cutting out the bones and trimming off the extra fat.

And this fat is not wasted! Yes, it's cooked and packed to give away. This fried, crispy meat/fat is called cracklin'. 

 Here they are just thrown in the pot.

And now just about cooked down.

Then they package them up to give away! We don't waste any of it. :)

One of my jobs, along with my United Methodist Women's circle is to wrap silverware, fill salt and pepper shakers and decorate the tables. Here are some of the beautiful center pieces my friend Jan put together...

And here, we're all done wrapping.

I don't have photos, but there are volunteers who bake biscuits and cook grits. Also those who crack a gazillion eggs. That used to be one of my jobs until I got too busy with after school activities with my kids. I have to admit, it makes it tough to eat eggs the next day after working with them!

Here is some of the country ham cooking.

Here are some of the cooks. This is for the dine-in food. The carry-out food was cooked in another kitchen on the other side of the church near where they do drive through--handing it out of a window! :)

Stirring up some of those many cracked, fresh eggs.

Pouring them into the griddle (a huge flat top cooker)... YUM. I love scrambled eggs.

Here's the beginning of the serving line when we first opened at 4:30. Volunteers on the right. Hungry folks on the left.

 One of my jobs is to take warm biscuits around to the tables offering seconds (and thirds and fourths). I must've served dozens to people who were gobbling them up with the yummy homemade apple jelly--compliments of our youth minister along with some youth who helped him make it!

Here's hubby's plate. Had to snap the shot since I forgot and had already dug in on my plate!  :) One thing he doesn't have that I did is red-eye gravy on the grits. For those who've never heard of it, you make it with drippings from the cooked ham and...coffee! Yes, coffee and fat. Believe it or not, it's very, very tasty!

We had a hugely successful night! Between the dine-in and the carry-out, we served over 1200 meals! A fun community event that's also a fundraiser for our men's and women's groups. I'm always amazed at how our volunteers come together, pitch in, and pull this off. Maybe all of you can come next year as we celebrate our 50th Ham & Egg Supper!

Missy
www.missytippens.com

Harvest Time!!!

Here is part of the bounty!!!!

A local farm was on "last sale day" of their produce stand so I drove down the road...

And spent every penny I could scrape up!!!!

We grated the zucchini for zucchini bread:

Beth took this picture and she clearly forgot the rule of making sure I look good!!!! Drat!!!

:)

Mary Ruthy, Joslyn and Xavier were my helpers... note I tried to keep their fingers out of the SHARP BLADE AREA!!!!  But hey, that's why we get ten fingers, right???  (laughing, laughing!!!)

We got enough grated zucchini to make two loaves of bread and 5 bags of zucchini to make bread over the winter.

Then we went to Crew #2:

Oh, wait, that's Beth, isn't she adorable???

Okay, back to Zucchini bread:

I used this recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook, a wonderful edition that I picked up years ago. When I realized how many good recipes it contained for today's cook (guy or girl!) I went back and got three more copies for my oldest kids.

Ingredients

3

cups shredded zucchini (2 to 3 medium)

1 2/3

cups sugar

2/3

cup vegetable oil

2

teaspoons vanilla

4

eggs

3

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose or whole wheat flour

2

teaspoons baking soda

1

teaspoon salt

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon (I changed this, tripled it to 1 TBSP)

1/2

teaspoon ground cloves (I deleted this)

1/2

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

cup coarsely chopped nuts  (optional)

1/2

cup raisins, if desired   (optional)

(Ruthy changes:  Per my old recipe I used a full tablespoon of cinnamon. I used no cloves. (blch). :)  My kids don't like nuts and raisins so I omitted them. In one loaf I added 2/3 cup of chocolate chips. Mmm....)  :)  Happy dancing with the chocolate chips, oh my stars!!!

Megan, Brody, Elijah and Xavier...

Directions

• Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans or 1 (9x5-inch) loaf pan with shortening or cooking spray. (Ruthy note: I greased and floured whole pan)
• 
  In large bowl, stir zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs until well mixed. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts and raisins. Stir in nuts and raisins. Divide batter evenly between 8-inch pans or pour into 9-inch pan.

• 
  Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling rack 10 minutes.

• 
  Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.  

SCRAPING THE BOWL!!!!  :)

• Ruthy note: I did not wait two hours before slicing. What would be the point in that????

We sliced some warm and delicious and spread butter on it and LOVED ON THAT BREAD!!!!

Warm bread from the oven must be eaten. It is a Ruthy Rule!!! But if there is some leftover, then by all means, eat it cold!

My bounty for stopping by DeMeyer's stand was a bushel and a half of butternut squash.... 7 large zucchini.... 2 pecks of green/red/yellow peppers... 2 heads of cauliflower.... And the joy of fun projects with my little peeps, learning how to clean and freeze food for the winter! And then there's this!!!!