Lenox Almond Biscotti

I actually made these before the Cheesecake Challenge. The recipe for these also came from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. I didn't plan it originally, but I added these cookies to the crust for my "test" cheesecake. (Meaning, my first cheesecake blew up in the oven and I had to make another one.) I think the cheesecake crust turned out well and I would probably make it with a mixture of graham cracker and biscotti again in the future.

The dough is a little hard to work with. It is very sticky and wet. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to spread out the dough lengthwise or widthwise on the cookie sheet. I started out going widthwise and realized I didn't have much room so I began forming the log lengthwise. What happened for me is that I didn't have enough room for the second log and the logs spread into each other when baking. If someone makes these, let me know what method worked for you.

The biscotti were VERY almondy. I find that a lot of the time biscotti have more of an eggy flavor, but the almond extract hides that. The extract comes out a lot so I would suggest adding less if you don't perfer the taste.

Lenox Almond Biscotti
from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3/4 cup sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cornmeal and whisk again to blend.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light, smooth and creamy. Beat in the almond extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. You'll have a soft, stick-to-your-fingers dough that will ball up around the paddle or beaters. Scrape down the paddle and bowl, toss in the almonds and mix just to blend.

Scrape half the dough onto one side of the baking sheet. Using your fingers and a rubber spatula or scraper, work the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 1¿2 inches wide. The log will be more rectangular than domed, and bumpy, rough and uneven. Form a second log with the remaining dough on the other side of the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the logs are lightly golden but still soft and springy to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool the logs on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.

If you turned off the oven, bring it back up to 350 degrees F.

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board and, with a long serrated knife, trim the ends and cut the logs into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet — this time standing them up like a marching band — and slide the sheet back into the oven.

Bake the biscotti for another 15 minutes, or until they are golden and firm. Transfer them to racks and cool to room temperature.

2008 Cheesecake Challenge Results

First, I'd like to thank all our bakers and judges this year. Without you all we wouldn't have such a successful evening! Also, I'd like to thank Delessio Market and Bakery for being our host and for also awarding the winner with a $20 gift card. For the first year, our grand prize was the Golden Whisk, made by Elisha. Great job!

This year's challenge was fruit. We had 5 bakers and surprisingly we each picked a different fruit to showcase in our cheesecakes. Here are the cheesecakes and their baker's:

Banana Caramel Cream Cheesecake by Elisha

Orange Blossom Cheesecake with Pomegranate Raspberry Sauce by Sylvia

Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd by Cynthia

Peach Cheesecake by Jason

Strawberry Cream Layered Cheesecake by Jeff

The cheesecakes were scored by taste, appearance, texture, and originality. Taste being out of 10 points and the other categories worth 5 points each. And finally, here are the results:

Most Original: The Orange Blossom Cheesecake with Pomegranate Raspberry Sauce

Best Texture: The Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd

Best Appearance: The Orange Blossom Cheesecake with Pomegranate Raspberry Sauce

Best Tasting: The Orange Blossom Cheesecake with Pomegranate Raspberry Sauce

Overall Winner: The Orange Blossom Cheesecake with Pomegranate Raspberry Sauce

Orange Blossom Cheesecake

Crust

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 whole graham crackers)

1 1/4 cups walnuts (about 5 ounces)

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

4 (8 ounces) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

2 teaspoons orange flower water

To make the crust: Butter a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the bottom of the pan in a double layer of aluminum foil.

In a food processor, blend together graham cracker crumbs, walnuts, sugar, salt and cloves until nuts are ground. Scoop out the mixture into a medium bowl and pour over the melted butter. Mix together with hands until all crumbs have been moisten. Press mixture into springform pan, bringing crumbs about 1 1/2 inches up the sides. Put the pan into the freezer while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the springform pan on a baking sheet. Bake the 10 minutes. Set the crust aside to cool on a baking rack while you are making the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

To make the cheesecake: Put a kettle of water on the stove to boil.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and creamy. While the mixer is still running, add the sugar and salt. Continue to beat the mixture until the cream cheese is light. Beat in the vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Reduce the mixer to low and add the heavy cream, orange zest and orange flower water.

Put the foil wrapped springform pan into a roasting pan that is large enough to have room around the springform when in it.

Pour the batter into the springform until the batter is just below the rim (about 1/2 inch). If you have left over batter, you can bake the batter in small buttered ramekins. Carefully, open the oven and slide out the center rack. Put the roasting pan containing the springform on the rack. Pour the boiling kettle water into the roasting pan until it comes up about halfway around the springform. Carefully, slide the rack back into the oven.

Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the top is slightly browned. Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, take the cheesecake out (be careful unwrapping the foil, there may be some hot water) and let it come to room temperature on a cooling rack.

When the cheesecake has cooled completely, cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. (Overnight is better).

Pomegranate Raspberry Sauce

2 cups pomegranate juice

1 (12 ounce) bag frozen unsweetened raspberries (unthawed)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup honey

Bring juice to a boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Mix in raspberries and sugar. Simmer until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, stirring frequently. Mix in honey and bring to simmer. Cooly slightly. Cover and chill until cold. Can be made 1 day in advance and kept in refrigerator.

Spoon over individual slices of cheesecake.

Raisin Swirl Bread

One of the things that I really enjoy eating for breakfast is cinnamon raisin toast or a cinnamon raisin bagel. So, I really wanted to try this recipe when I saw it.

This is yet another recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours (I think the majority of recipes shown here will be from this book for awhile). This book, while it's my first baking book, is turning out to be my baking bible.

This is my first attempt at baking a yeast bread, and I have to say: it was backbreaking work! What I thought would only be an hour or two to make, turned out to really be half a days worth. Once the dough is kneaded (my stand mixer fitted with a dough hook came in handy for this job), needs to proofed, then chilled, rolled out, and once it's in the bread pan, proofed again. But, the results were well worth it and I was extremely proud of myself when I saw the final product.

I really liked eating this bread toasted with cream cheese or just plain by itself. I let the loaf cool completely and sliced it. I put the whole thing into the freezer where it kept really well, but it was gone in less than a week anyhow.

Recipe coming soon.