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Monday, April 29, 2013

Monday Musings :: Look on the Sunny Side of Everything



"Promise yourself to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true." 

(excerpt from "Promises to Yourself", also known as The Optimist's Creed by Christian D. Larson).

Friday, April 26, 2013

Rosemary Orange Biscotti {Recipe}

Rosemary Orange Walnut Biscotti - recipe


'Biscotti' is an Italian word, meaning 'cooked twice'. Essentially, biscotti are toasted cookies, usually made in a long flat shape which are perfect for dunking. These flavorful little treats are your morning coffee's soulmates, but don't be afraid to try them to add a little crunch to some vanilla ice cream!

This is an original recipe, adapted from another original recipe of mine - these sweet Rosemary Orange Walnut Cookies that I made for Christmas. They were absolutely delicious... but are made with butter. When I made them, I remember thinking they would make amazing biscotti, and wishing I had made them a little healthier too. 

I have been cooking with grapeseed oil for several months now. It is a wonderful oil, with a neutral flavor, lower in monounsaturated fats than olive oil, and more Vitamin E per serving. I'll be honest though, the reason I bought it in the first place was for beauty purposes (I heard it is an excellent moisturizer and helps minimize fine lines around the eyes. More on that another time!). But after running out of olive oil, I began using it in the kitchen as well and enjoy it in homemade salad dressings and stir fries!

I saw that Pompeian - the brand of grapeseed oil I have been using - was having a recipe contest encouraging bloggers to create a recipe using grapeseed oil instead of butter, and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to test my Rosemary Orange Walnut Biscotti recipe!

I think they turned out great...But they sure didn't last long around here. I've already committed to making a double batch next time. I hope you'll like them too :) 

UPDATE 05/05/13: This recipe was chosen as a semi-finalist in the Pompeian "Time to Change Your Oil" recipe contest! I would LOVE it if you would vote for me! Public voting ends 5/12.