Make a Biscotti Tree Instead of a Gingerbread House for Christmas!

Photo credit: https://www.gatheranddine.com/almond-biscotti-christmas-tree/. Image used by permission.

This lovely photograph and its accompanying blog post and recipe are from Gather & Dine. Follow the link to access many process photographs and directions.

But I didn’t discover this fabulous item via the G&D blog. Instead, perhaps 20 years ago I was in the big Safeway near our then-house in Northern Virginia. It was getting close to December, and they had that issue of their store magazine out for sale, with recipes showcasing their ingredients and many coupons. I was stopped dead by the illustration on the cover for something called a “biscotti tree.” Alas, I can’t find that image in my files, although I know I had it at one point. Suffice it to say that I was fired with enthusiasm for making it, and I try to do so every year. If it’s December, then I must be making Tiny Tim Cranberry Tarts and Almond-Orange Biscotti Trees!

Here’s the really interesting thing: I’ve only ever seen this recipe/assembly idea in that Safeway magazine and then on the food blog I’m referencing here. That blog’s author, Emily, gives credit for the idea to a website that no longer exists. So it’s just her and me! And it looks to me as though she stopped posting on her blog back in 2018, although her site has an up-to-date copyright notice. So soon it may just be me! I’d better step up my game.

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A Fabulous, Rich Chocolate Tart That’s Vegan–But You’d Never Know It

Image by code404 from Pixabay; to see original photos go to https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-vegan-chocolate-tart-tahini-caramel/

I’m not a vegan myself nor do I plan to ever become one, but it’s an interesting challenge to have a vegan guest for dinner. My friend Aubrey had made some vegan chocolate tartlets last year for our church Christmas party and I just about passed out when I ate one of them. Astonishing! I couldn’t believe that it didn’t have any butter or eggs in it. So I set out to reproduce this experience as part of our desserts for my sister-in-law’s birthday dinner on Dec. 30 since a vegan friend of hers was coming, and I found one online that sounded pretty good. The original was also gluten free, but I had no need for that and didn’t want to buy tapioca starch and sweet rice flour. I can’t stand being told that I need some specialty ingredient but only a small amount! The original called for only two tablespoons of the tapioca flour, so I’d be buying a whole bag that would then sit on my pantry shelf. But one item that the recipe does call for and which you should always have on hand is tahini, that is, sesame-seed paste. I’ve bought high-end tahini through the mail (and paid a pretty high-end price), but actually I like the stuff you can find at the grocery store just fine. Tahini and chocolate are an inspired combination.

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