Howdy Texas! Hello Biscotti!

Howdy from hot and humid San Antonio!  It’s been great being home, though it does come with its challenges.

My hope was to wake up each morning and to go for a run…. but yeah, that hasn’t happened yet.  Along side that, I can’t stop snacking.  Ok, that may be a little over exaggerated but there’s lots of yummy food around my parents house.  Biscotti, peanut butter, chocolate cake, etc.  More or less the things I LOVE but never allow in my house.

Cranberry Orange Biscotti

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp orange extract
• 1 tbsp grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, salt and mix well.  In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar about 2 minutes.  Add vanilla extract, orange extract and zest and mix well.  Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until blended.  Fold in dried cranberries.

Dust your hands with flour and transfer the dough to a greased cooking sheet.  Form the dough into a log, about 4 inches wide and 12 inches long.  Bake about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the dough clean.  Remove pan from the oven and allow the log to cool for 15 minutes.

Place the log on a cutting board and cut on a diagonal.  A serrated knife is best for this cut.  Place the biscotti on the baking sheet on their sides.  Bake the biscotti 15 minutes and then flip each of the biscotti over once.  Bake again for 10-15 minutes until the biscotti are a pale brown.  Cool biscotti and store up to 2 week.

I also got my hair cut/highlighted yesterday.  It is SUPER blond and rather short but it’s cute!  I love getting my hair done in Texas.  It’s SO cheap compared to Washington, DC.

What helps you to stay on track when you’re back home visiting family?  What’s your favorite thing to eat when you’re back home?