I still order coffee from them to this day.  I love their tea and coffee..but I was missing something. Biscotti. It was one of my favorite staples at Raw Deal.  There’s nothing better than dipping chocolate-coated biscotti into a great cup of coffee.

I decided to make almond-cranberry biscotti.  The recipe I found called for vanilla, which I substituted with almond extract.  I also decided to add dried cranberries to the recipe since almond and cranberries compliment each other well.

Almond Biscotti
Adapted from  All Recipes
Servings 42 (made about 28 cookies for me)

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided (I didn’t use all the sugar)
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon anise or vanilla extract (I used almond extract)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I added an extra 1/4 cup)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Dash salt
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 2 teaspoons milk

*I added 1/4 cup of dried cranberries to the recipe
*Melted semi-sweet chocolate to dip the ends in.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and 1 cup of sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in anise or vanilla (almond extract).  Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture.  Stir in almonds and cranberries.  Line a baking sheet with foil and grease foil.  Divide dough in half; spread into two 12-in x 3-in. rectangles on foil.  Brush with milk and sprinkle with remaining sugar (I didn’t use the full 1/4 remaining cup).  Bake at 375˚ F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.  Remove from oven and reduce heat to 300˚ F.  Lift rectangles with foil onto wire rack; cool for 15 minutes.  Place on a cutting board; slice diagonally 1/2 inch thick.  Place slices with cut side down on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Turn cookies over; bake 10 minutes more.  Turn oven off, leaving cookies in oven with door ajar to cool.

Once the cookies were cool, I melted some chocolate in a double boiler.  I dipped some of the cookies into the chocolate and let them cool on the foil.  Store in an airtight container.

One of my all-time favorite flavors is lime.  I can’t get enough of it.  Not only is it refreshing, but it also brightens up the palette and allows a heavier tasting cookie to have a lighter flavor.  Once I saw this recipe, I knew it was one I had to try out.

Lime-Glazed Cookies
From Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
Makes about 3 dozen

• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest (2 medium limes)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Lime Glaze (recipe follows)

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add lime zest and juice, and salt; beat until combined.  Add flour; beat until just combined.

Turn out the dough onto a large piece of parchment or waxed paper.  Using your hands, shape dough into an 8 inch log; flatten into a rectangle (1 1/2 inches high and 2 1/2 inches wide).  Fold paper over log; flatten sides against work surface.  Freeze or refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4 inch-thick slices.  Place about 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.  Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are puffed and barely golden, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Using the back of a spoon, spread about 1 teaspoon Lime Glaze on each cookie.  Unglazed cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days; they should be eaten the same day they are glazed.

Lime Glaze

• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until spreadable.  Use immediately.

I plan on using this glaze recipe for cakes and regular sugar cookies.  I liked how easy this recipe was to make and bake.  No scooping involved.. just slice and bake!  I recommend making a double batch.  I stored the cookies in a tupperware container with the glaze in a sealed bowl in the fridge.