Basic Biscotti

Basic Biscotti Recipe

Biscotti are oblong twice-baked cookies or biscuits, originating from Italy.  Their dry texture makes them the perfect dunking companion for a cup of coffee.  I picked up this recipe from an old roommate several years ago and since then have modified it only slightly.  This is a pretty simple and basic biscotti recipe.  I like that the base has only a hint of sweetness and it's incredibly versatile with your choice of mix-ins.  I typically make my biscotti with chocolate chips, toasted almond slivers, and dried cranberries - simply because those are staple ingredients in my pantry.  It's important not to get overly ambitious with your mix-ins or else your dough won't hold together. Try to keep your mix-ins to a total of 1 cup.  Some other combinations that would work well include:

Favorite Lemon Bars

Favorite Lemon Bars

I've shared this recipe before with a coconut variation, but here it is again in its pure and simple form. After making these for work, I'm reaffirmed that they really are my favorite lemon bars.  I doubled the recipe this time and baked it in a 9x13 pan.  The crust to filling ratio comes out to 1:2 and I think it's a great balance.

Healthier Furikake Chex Mix

Furikake Chex Mix

One of my favorite snacks to make and eat is Furikake Chex Mix.  It takes some babysitting to make, but the result is a deliciously addictive snack that meets my salty, crunchy, and sweet cravings all at once.  I've posted a recipe for this in the past and since then I've been tweaking it here and there to my liking.  This past week I made two batches for a large hangout with friends and I was left with practically an entire batch afterwards.  It's been a great snack in my lunchbox this week and especially with July 4th coming up it'll be a great addition to any bbq or picnic.  Easy to grab a handful, relatively clean, and packed with the right punch of umami flavor to keep you coming back!