The thin glaze on these tasty biscotti pushes them way over the top into extreme deliciousness.  Light toasting keeps them firm, but the crumb remains soft and tender.  I am not a huge fan of the super-crunchy-break-your-teeth versions of biscotti, which are great for dunking if you’re the type who likes to drench your cookies in hot coffee.  Not me.

It’s an easy to bake recipe, with great results:

GLAZED ANISETTE BISCOTTI

3 eggs

1 stick butter

1 tablespoon Anisette liquer or Sambuca

1 teaspoon anisette extract

2 1/4 (+/-) cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

GLAZE

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. anisette extract (or more, to taste)

In a medium sized bowl, mix together flour and baking powder.  Set aside.  Mix butter until softened.  Add eggs and continue mixing until blended; mix in liquer and extract.  Add flour and mix until well blended.  If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour as necessary.

Form dough into 3 loaves (Note:  it may be necessary to wet hands while forming loaves,as dough is a bit sticky), approximately 9″ long x 1 1/2″ wide.  Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour, or until loaves are lightly golden.  Remove from oven and place on cooling rack until warm and easy to handle.  Slice each loaf diagonally into 3/4″ slices.  Place sliced cookies onto cookie sheet and return to oven for 5 – 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

While cookies are cooling, prepare glaze by stirring together confectioner’s sugar, milk and extract.  Add additional milk, a few drops at a time, if necessary.

Dip tops of cookies into glaze and stand upright on cooling rack.  Sprinkle with non-pareils.

Pour your coffee, head to the lounge chair outside, and bring a couple of these cookies along.  You’re in for a real treat ;-)

“A”

First up, brunch with the family at this wonderful little eatery called Anella.  The weather was sunny and warm, with barely a breeze in the air, and we were seated outside.  There was a small, fragrant, herb garden out there with plantings of dill, rosemary, and basil, to name a few.  Lovely.

The food was delicate and delicious.  We selected from the “prix fixe” menu, which included an entree, beverages and a special after-brunch treat…a yummy cinnamon-sugary cookie that tasted like a crispy snickerdoodle.  (yes, I ate it and counted  the WW points).  So delicious.  Couldn’t stop thinking about it.

What to do???

Bake some.

I used Betty Crocker’s recipe for snickerdoodles and, WOW.  Slightly cinnamon crisp on the outside, and soft, fluffy vanilla delicious on the inside.  Mmmmmmm, mmmmm.

After brunch we walked a loooooooong way to the Brooklyn Flea market:

We buzzed in and out rather quickly, though.  The weather became uncomfortably warm and the space was wall-to-wall people.  We literally walked through the aisles at a snail’s pace.  Bye.

Back to little a’s for dinner and three helpings of Italian ices (yes, three.  Mother’s day is not a good day for counting points).  Overall, it was a happy and glorious day…just like every other day spent with my loving family ;-)

“A”

I found the pattern for this daisy garland in one of the Japanese crochet books I purchased a while ago, and I finally got around to making it.

I love this!!  It was easy to make, too.  The green header is made with chain stitch and double crochet, and it is worked vertically.  You crochet the leaves next, and then hand-stitch the flowers, which are crocheted separately.  I used Reynolds Saucy Sport yarn (which I discovered is discontinued), but Tahki makes a great cotton yarn, Cotton Classic Lite, that comes in a full rainbow of colors.

I purchased the book at a Japanese book store, but you can buy it from Pomadour24 at Etsy.

Of note, the book is written almost ENTIRELY in Japanese.  The only exceptions are, for example, “73 page”.  The graphs and symbols for the stitches are universal and somewhat easy to follow.  These books are chock-full of beautiful patterns and gorgeous photographs.

I only wish they were offered with complete English translations.  I’d buy sooooo many more, and I suspect other knitters and crocheters would too.

Anyone listening??  (誰もが聞いて？)

“A”

The “blah” in my family room was bringing me down and, with spring everywhere, I needed to do something fast.  Armed with my treasured coupons, I headed to JoAnn’s  hoping to find a fabric solution.  The result:

bright and colorful pillows that turned my blah into happy!

These pillows were not at all complicated to make, but you do need to have some basic sewing skills.  I used the feather pillow forms that were inside pillows I had purchased at HomeGoods last year.  The original covers had zippered bottoms, so they were easy to remove and measure.  I added zippers to these, as well.

The fabric was home-dec weight, but I fused some 987F fleece* (made by Pellon) onto each front and back square before stitching.  It helps the covers retain their shape and it adds a slight bit of loft to the pillow…you simply iron it onto the wrong side of the cut fabric.  I stitched the trim into the seam, and done is done.

All of the pattern books (McCalls, Simplicity, Butterick, etc.) offer a great selection of decorative pillow patterns which contain yardage requirements and detailed directions.  If you can sew a straight line with your sewing machine, you can make simple throw pillows.

It’s a great way to freshen a room, add some color and ditch the blahs.

“A”

*It is less expensive to buy this at your local JoAnn’s store by the yard, than to purchase it at JoAnn’s online.  (don’t forget to bring your coupon)

So maybe I’ve eaten one too many cookies, or maybe one too many slices of cake (just one, mind you), but she looks so terrific that I thought I’d give the program a try.  Truth be known, I have an ugly history of being a WW dropout.  As a result, I have a library of books describing their endless programs and the ways they’ve changed over the years, complete with the “old” sliding scale point values, stickers and weight records.  So…why do I think I’ll stick to it this time?  Who knows.  But I am going to try.  Again.

After my first week and a successful weigh-in (it’s usually week 2 that causes me grief), I had to give these 3-point biscotti a try.  I found the recipe on a fabulous website called Skinnytaste.  The photos are terrific and the foods look scrumptious, PLUS she provides all the points values for the WW program.  What could be better than that??

These biscotti are really, REALLY good.  They are tender and chocolatey with just the perfect pistachio crunch.  And, they’re easy to make.  Mix and shape the dough, and bake:

After they cool a bit, slice diagonally and return to the oven:

They are great to munch on even if you’re not counting points.

If, like me, you ARE counting, better watch out.

3+3+3+3+……..adds up.  Fast.

“A”

Note:  As in any great biscotti, the rounded ends of the loaves have no calories.  Nuh, uh…not a one.

My very spry and youthful mom turned 86 on Sunday, and here’s the cake I baked to celebrate.  It was made with four layers of Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge, and the filling was a combo of chocolate bavarian cream and buttercream (the Magnolia Bakery recipe).  You can check here for the particulars, as I made this very cake for my friend Holly on her milestone birthday.  (Totally worth repeating!)

Hope you had a wonderful day, mom, and we all thank you for your kind and thoughtful heart.  Wishing you many more!

“A”

The party was at my sister’s house and, as I approached the front door, I turned slightly to the left and was captivated by this dazzling display of wisteria in bloom.  SO pretty.

I knitted this one, however, for a sweet little newborn baby girl, and I really do love it.  The pattern is from Leisure Arts book #3202, and it’s called Little Lamb.  It is knitted with worsted weight yarn, so it moves along pretty quickly.  I used Encore yarn, color 0449, Pink Sorbet.  The ribbon roses are made by Wright, and they’re available in the ribbon section at JoAnn’s.  You can probably purchase them, also, at most craft stores.  I had seen someone on Ravelry adorn this sweater with similar roses, and I just couldn’t resist stitching them on as an accent.

I’ll be checking my personal library for an adult-sized version of this pattern, and I care not one bit how ridiculous it  may look on me.  Stay tuned.

“A”

To show my appreciation, and to honor Laura’s request, we baked up this delicious repeat.  What a huge difference in time and labor!  The kit comes with three 9″ aluminum cake pans, and THIS:

…an insert that sits atop the cake pan and allows you to pour perfect circles of alternating cake batter.  Magic.

Thank you, Laura, for your kindness and extreme thoughtfulness.  (not that you need them, but you’ve earned a million extra brownie points ;-)

“A”

the big JC wasn’t the only one resurrected this Easter — little a is back, too!

hope everyone is enjoying the start of spring! with a tupperware full of Mom’s Easter cookies and a thrift-store find-of-the-century (an embroidered scene of The Last Supper), mine is off to a good start.

my contribution to the Easter dessert table this year was a ricotta cheesecake. this recipe, from The Sopranos Family Cookbook, combines the cool creaminess of the ricotta with a healthy dose of citrus flavor and doesn’t fuss with a crust. the result is a lighter, more refreshing dessert option than a traditional cheesecake; perfect for after my fifth slice of ham, third slice of grandma’s meat-and-cheese-filled pizza rustica, and fourth cookie.

if you don’t have this cookbook, you can borrow one of the ten copies of it i received the Christmas it came out, or you can find the recipe here. it tastes better cold, right-out-of-the-fridge the day after and/or if you eat it while watching The Sopranos, but, really, what italian dish doesn’t?

.a

One of my favorite childhood memories is wearing a new, pretty Easter dress along with matching, shiny, patent leather MaryJane’s.  Add a fancy Easter bonnet and little white gloves, and I was ready for the runway.

As I was glancing at some colorful fabrics, that fond memory sparked this idea and I started digging through my stash in search of inspiring fabrics.  Before long, I was stitchin’ away:

I created my own pattern…not at all complicated.

The finished potholder measures approximately 8″ x 8″.

I had fun with embellishments (surprise, surprise)!  I used buttons, ribbon and glue-on rhinestones.

It’s a small project, but it can be a great stash-buster.  Once you get started, they buzz right along!

I’m already thinking other holidays.  (How cute would these be in snowy whites with Christmas reds and greens!)  But for now, it’s pastels and flowers!

Wishing you a happy, sunny, fun-filled Easter holiday!

“A”