Recipe Bucket List 2013 #9: Chocolate with Almonds and Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Out of all my themes so far, I'd have to say that my May theme of biscotti has been my favorite.  Not only do I get to eat the biscotti by itself, but I also have the options to dip it in my tea, coffee, or anything else I please!  

Not to mention, there are tons of flavor combinations.  Muna of MunatyCooking created a Chocolate and Orange Biscotti and I thought to continue this trend with Chocolate with Almonds and Chocolate Chip Biscotti!

Chocolate with Almonds and Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Makes approximately 40 pieces

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar, with an additional tablespoon for sprinkling
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup of sliced almonds
1 cup of dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and mix until incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, brown sugar, and extracts.
4. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and mix until combined.
5. Add the almonds and dark chocolate chips to the dough and slowly incorporate.
6. Divide the dough into two equal parts.
7. On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll each part of dough into a log that is slightly shorter than the length of your cookie sheet and approximately 3 to 4 inches wide.
8. Flatten until each log is about 1/2 inch in height.
9. Sprinkle with the additional brown sugar.
10. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for about 10 to 15 minutes.
12. Cut each log diagonally in 1/2 inch thick pieces.
13. Place each cut piece back on the cookie sheet on one side and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes for softer biscotti and 20 minutes for crisper biscotti.
14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

The first log I cut was a bit uneven in lengths so some biscotti ended up crisper than others.  On my second log, I did a better job at keeping all the biscotti the same length and thickness.

I couldn't resist and had a piece right out of the oven so it was still a bit soft.  After everything cooled down, the biscotti hardened.  I savor my biscotti with a cup of Coffee with Sweetened Condensed Milk or a cup of hot tea.

How would you have yours?

Enjoy~

Foodie Penpals April 2013

I know, I know.  I'm way behind on posting this.  But a late post is better than never, right?

I've been really lucky this year with my Foodie Penpals.  My Foodie Penpal for April was Virginia of Virgie's Place.  She sent me items on things I absolutely love!  Tea and honey!

~ The Ultimate Tea Diet by Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra.  I don't need to lose weight.  In fact, I could probably stand to gain a few pounds.  But I've flipped through the book and there are many tea related recipes I'd love to try out!

~ Crockett's Honey. This is a large container full of local Arizona honey!  I'm waiting to finish my giant container of honey before I open this one up.  I can't wait!

~ Jim Beam Honey.  The description describes this as Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey infused with real honey and liqueur.  I don't normally drink, so I might use this in a marinade or for grilling.  Should be interesting.

I'm glad that Virginia sent me that giant tub of local honey.  I use honey every single day and go through it like crazy.  This will last me a while.

Thanks so much for being my Foodie Penpal for April Virginia!

Now for those of you who are new to this and interested in joining, here is what Foodie Penpals is all about.

- On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email.  It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

- You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail.  On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!

- The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats!  The spending limit is $15.  The box must also include something written.  This can be anything from a note explaining what's in the box, to a fun recipe...use your imagination!

- You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are.  (Don't forget about flat rate boxes!)

- Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers.  If you're a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received.  If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.

- Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents.  Please note, Canadian residents will be paired with other Canadians only.  We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.  So, Lindsay will keep two separate lists and match US with US and Canada with Canada!

If you're in Europe, please contact Carol Anne from This is Rock Salt (http://thisisrocksalt.com/) at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved!

If you live in Asia or Australia and want to get involved, email Lindsay at lclivingston@gmail.com and she will see if there is enough interest.

If you're interested in participating for May, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.

You will receive a confirmation email from Lindsay within 24 hours if you sign up.  IF YOU DON'T GET ONE, send Lindsay at lclivingston@gmail.com an email!

Please check out other April 2013 Foodie Penpal reveals here!

Feel free to check out my other monthly Foodie Penpals reveals here! 

MunatyCooking | Guest Post - Chocolate and Orange Biscotti

Good morning!  Today, I have a special guest post from Muna of MunatyCooking!

I first contacted Muna when I saw her Pistachio and Anise Biscotti recipe and thought her perfect for my May month theme of biscotti.  And she is!  She already had her biscotti recipe in the works.

Muna is the amazing blogger behind several delicious recipes such as Impossible Custard Pie, Garlic Lemon Shrimps, Chicken Yogurt Kebobs, and Kiss Me Honey Cookies.  She has such a variety of sweets and savory recipes that I can never decide what I want to make!

You should definitely check Muna out on her blog.  She's also on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest!

I won't make you guys wait any longer.  Here's Muna's special post!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hi everyone!

This is Muna, author of MunatyCooking. As a foodie and a mom, I like to offer my family and readers variety of food, therefore you'll find many international recipes in my blog.

I was so excited when Stephanie asked me to guest blog for her. Thank you so much for having me.

Stephanie is a very kind person and I love coming over to her blog, read all her interesting posts, and enjoy her easy to make and tasty recipes. Although we never met in person but thanks to the internet, I feel as if I've known her since long time.

I have another reason for getting all excited here. I've decided to start low calorie recipe series, in this series I'll be converting most of the popular dishes into low calorie delight.

Chocolate Orange Biscotti is the first low calorie recipe in this series and it's my pleasure to share it here at Munch I Munch =).

Biscotti are Italian cookies and these cookies found their way to our kitchens and hearts easy. 

There are 120 calories in one serving of regular biscotti, while in my version there is only 57 calories. What else is amazing about my biscotti you ask? Well, there is neither oil nor butter!

These Chocolate Orange Biscotti are chocolaty, and the orange zest is there to make it perfect. These twice-baked cookies can be as crunchy as you want or as soft, it all depends on how long you bake them.

No one will believe that these beauties are low calorie, so you can bake them for your family and feel good about introducing a delicious, sophisticated, and healthy snack.

Dip these biscotti in your cold milk or black coffee, try it, it's addictive and irresistible!

So here, we go…

Chocolate Orange Biscotti

Makes 14 biscotti. One serving 57 calories. 

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup coco powder (unsweetened)
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 medium egg
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
7 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

- Preheat your oven to 350F/180C.
- Place a parchment paper on your baking sheet. Set aside.
- Sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In another bowl, beat egg, egg white, orange zest, and vanilla at least 3 minutes.
- Add sugar and beat another 3 minutes.
- Pour wet mixture into flour mixture and mix with hand or spatula until ingredients are incorporated. Dough should be sticky.
- Use spatula to transfer dough to the baking sheet.
- Wet both hands with water. Shape the dough into 8" long log and gently press log down to 1/2 inch.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove biscotti from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Cut into slices. Put slices back on baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Turn biscotti over and bake other side for 10 more minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
* Stored in an airtight container, these biscotti can stay for up to one week.

If you're having any issues with the recipe, check out Muna's video here!

Recipe Bucket List 2013 #8: Coconut with Dark Chocolate Coconut Popovers

My first try at popovers was a complete failure.  There was no "pop" in my popovers!  Okay, maybe not a complete failure since Mr. Munchimunch and I did finish all six popovers for breakfast over the next few days.

This time around, I made sure I did all the necessary research before baking my popovers.  I also made sure NOT to open the oven for the first half an hour.  But it was even more of a failure!  >_<

My month of popovers was not as successful as I hoped it to be.  Definitely not as successful as my January bark, February caramels, or March scones.

I guess I'll just have to practice some more.  I refuse to let popovers get the best of me!!!

For now, I'll link to Susan of Doughmesstic's Coconut and Dark Chocolate Popovers recipe that I was trying to follow (without the coconut flour).

Check out the rest of Susan of Doughmesstic's popovers here!

Check out my other Recipe Bucket List recipes here!

Enjoy~

Giveaway for Turning One! (And another update...)

I mentioned earlier that I would be back to my scheduled posts, but things happen in life.  In these cases, I feel it's better to take things as they come and to make the most of it.

I won't get into details, but Mr. Munchimunch's grandparents got into a horrible car accident last week which resulted in broken bones and deep lacerations that required stitches.  To have this happen when I was just finishing up with my semester with final papers and final exams was more than stressful.  

But like I said, things happen in life.  I am extremely glad and relieved that everyone made it out of the accident alive and all there is to show, are broken bones, bruises, and lacerations.  And I'm beyond happy that I finished this semester without killing anyone.  haha  

We'll be driving up to Mr. Munchimunch's grandparents this weekend to help them out and take care of them, but I do have some posts in the works.  

And now, I have a giveaway to celebrate Munch I Munch's One Year Blogiversary!  

Munch I Munch turned one on May 1st.  Once again, I can't believe I've been blogging for over a year!  I am so thankful for the new friends I have made that have helped me along this journey and especially thankful to you, my readers.  

Whether you stopped by once or whether you are a return visitor, I thank you!!!  And I hope that you will visit again.  ^_^  

Let's do a little recap before I continue on to the giveaway, shall we?  

Some of my top read posts had to do with coffee.  Starting with Coffee with Sweetened Condensed Milk, Minty Andes Peppermint Crunch Coffee, and Nosh.onit's guest post How to Brew Coffee Using a French Press.  

Other top read posts had to do with sweetened condensed milk.  I'm happy to find that I'm not the only person obsessed with sweetened condensed milk!  Peanut Butter Condensed Milk Spread was a hit, along with Sweetened Condensed Milk with Saltine Crackers, but Pumpkin Condensed Milk Nutella Brownies was the most read out of my sweetened condensed milk series.  

Another series that you readers enjoyed were my frozen yogurts (without a machine)!  In fact, these were definitely in my top ten most read posts.  Honey Frozen Yogurt, Mango Frozen Yogurt, Avocado Frozen Yogurt, and Dark Chocolate Coconut Water Frozen Yogurt.  

And lastly, the most read post of this year was Hong Kong Style Curry Fish Balls and Beef Balls (咖哩魚蛋)!  ^_^  

I'm delighted that even one of my posts have reached the public.  It's just so amazing to me!  I'm so grateful to every single one of you.  So grateful that I will be giving away the following to one special reader.  

This giveaway includes:  

~ Two (2) Wilton Perfect Results 12 Cup Muffin Pans, because who doesn't love sweets?  

~ One (1) 1 lb container of Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa in Chocolate Mint Truffle, my favorite flavor!

~ One (1) package of Twining's Classics Black Tea Variety Pack which includes 20 bags of assorted teas such as English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Lady Grey, and Irish Breakfast, for my fellow tea lovers!  

~ One (1) package of 48 Wilton Baking cups black liners with the prettiest white lace!  

Here's how you can enter. 

For one (1) mandatory entry, you must leave a a comment below about anything.  What you'd bake first with your new muffin pans, your favorite flavor of tea, whether you sweeten your tea or drink it "black", anything your heart pleases!  

For extra entries:  

1. For one (1) extra entry, follow Munch I Munch on twitter and leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.  

2. For one (1) extra entry, like Munch I Munch on Facebook and leave a separate comment letting me know you liked the page.

3. For one (1) extra entry, subscribe to Munch I Munch and leave a comment letting me know you have subscribed.

4. For one (1) extra entry, tweet about this giveaway.  Make sure the link to this giveaway post and my Twitter handle @SMunchimunch are included and leave a separate comment letting me know you have tweeted.  

This giveaway is opened worldwide and you must be 18 years of age or older.  (If you are under the age of 18 and wish to enter this giveaway, I will require your parents' approval.)  This giveaway is opened from May 10, 2013, until May 31, 2013.  One (1) winner will be chosen by random.org and will win all of the listed above.  The winner will be emailed for shipping information so be sure to leave a valid email address!  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. 

Disclaimer:  This giveaway was not sponsored.  Everything was bought by me as a thank you to you, my readers.  All opinions noted above are 100% my own.  

Good luck!