late last fall, i discovered making biscotti... and, well, enjoying it. i made two different recipes for cranberry pistachio biscotti that were posted here. a few weeks ago, i found a "spring" version that included orange zest and white chocolate.

i really liked this recipe. the aroma the orange adds is really nice. and, as the previous biscotti attempts, the recipe is such an easy one to do -- and the result is worth the effort!

spring biscotti
all recipes

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest (about a medium sized orange)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1-1/4 cups pistachio nuts

In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, orange zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually blend into the creamed mixture using a wooden spoon. Stir in the white chocolate, dried cranberries, and pistachios. Cover, and chill for 30 minutes, or until dough is no longer sticky.

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface, and divide into halves. Form each half into a flattish log about 12 inches long by 3 inches wide. Arrange logs at least 3 inches apart on baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until pale gold. Allow logs to cool on the baking sheet until cool enough to handle. On a cutting board, cut logs crosswise on a diagonal into 1 inch thick slices. Arrange on baking sheet.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until golden. Transfer biscotti to wire racks, and cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

this is my second martha stewart recipe to try. and this is my second loss. i used the exact ingredients and followed the directions. i did not end up with crisp fries, but limp soggy ones.

i would imagine that i don't have the correct equipment, but regardless i was not satisfied with this. the pommes frites are supposed to be dipped in a mayonnaise, but i didn't have the ingredients to complete that... and i'm glad i didn't waste the time to do so, since the fries ended up down the disposal, anyway. (i've listed the mayonnaise recipe as well, but i have no comment for it.)

pommes frites
martha stewart living magazine

8 Idaho potatoes
2 to 3 quarts vegetable oil
1 tablespoon coarse salt

Peel potatoes if desired; cut into 1/2 inch thick match sticks Place in a bowl of cold water to soak for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a large saucepan (at least 5 quarts) to 325ºF. Remove potatoes from water; dry very well with paper towels. Add potatoes in batches to oil; blanch for 2 minutes (potatoes will not take on any color. Drain well; transfer to pans lined with paper towels to cool completely.

Raise heat of oil to 375ºF. Heat oven to 250ºF. Add potatoes to oil in batches; fry until golden, about three minutes. Drain well; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt; keep warm in oven while frying remaining potatoes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

homemade mayonnaise
martha stewart living magazine

1/2 cup light olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1 large egg
pinch of dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Combine oils in a glass measuring cup. Place egg, mustard and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until mixture is foamy and pale, about 1-1/2 minutes.

With the machine running, add the oil, drop by drop, through the feed tube, until the mixture starts to thicken (about 1/4 cup of oil); do not stop the machine at this point or the mayonnaise may not come together. Add the remaining oil in a slow, steady stream. When all the oil has been incorporated, slowly add the lemon juice. the fresh mayonnaise can be kept, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to three days.

Yield: 1 cup

this looked really good in the picture featured on the allrecipes site. mine, however did not resemble in any way... the sauce is pretty tasty. i used chunky peanut butter, i thought it was a good change/alternative to the smooth consistency.

trying to brush on the sauce and cover in chips is really messy... i'm not quite sure of a solution to that. i'm also not sure if it was just me, but i had a problem with turning the chicken, half way through cooking, per instructions. the tongs just kind of pulled the crust away from the chicken. and, a lot of it burned onto the pan, leaving it there to stick.

in the end, i'd say that the sauce is the only reason i'd look at this recipe again. the idea of covering the chicken with the crust is good, and i really liked the fact that it was baked, as opposed to frying in oil on the stovetop. but, i'm sure there is a different, but similar, recipe to try.

crispy chicken with honey dipping sauce
kraft foods & allrecipes.com

1 cup MIRACLE WHIP Salad Dressing
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons peanut butter
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lb.) , cut into strips
1-1/2 cups finely crushed potato chips (a medium/large bag)

Mix salad dressing, honey, mustard and peanut butter. Remove 1/2 cup of the salad dressing mixture; set remaining aside.

Brush chicken with 1/2 cup of the salad dressing mixture; coat with crushed chips. Place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 425ºF for 9 minutes. Turn. Bake an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and lightly browned. Serve with remaining salad dressing mixture as dipping sauce.

Yield: 8 Servings

i found this recipe on the weight watchers site for "cinnamon knots." they looked really tasty and obviously not too horrible for you. so, tonight i tried them. first, i mixed the sugar and cinnamon (a little more than the recipe lists for) together in a bowl. After spraying with the cooking spray, I put each stick into the bowl, turning to coat well -- as opposed to just spooning the mixture over. i varied the "knot" a little -- i just twisted them once.

very easy to make, quick and good to eat!

cinnamon sugar knots
weight watchers

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
11 ounce refrigerated breadsticks dough
cooking spray, butter flavored

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar. Mix well and set aside.

Unroll the breadsticks and cut each one in half lengthwise (resulting in 24 sticks). Arrange on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cinnamon-sugar mixture over each piece. Tie each piece into a knot (pulling dough gently, if necessary). Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over knots.

Bake until puffed up and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Yield: 2 per serving
Weight Watchers Points: 2 per serving