Biscotti Season ~ Pineapple Rosemary

This is the morning where we are suppose to "Fall Back". Back up the clocks. There were many years where I backed up the clock radio beside my bed, then my husband would back it up. Double back up are not good. So this year I did not touch the clock radio. Neither did he. So when I woke up at 6:22 I figured my braid thought it was 7:22. No reason to fight being awake, so I got up. It was really 5:22. ON A SUNDAY???

It is finally cool enough to turn on the oven hear in Texas, so I thought I would make some biscotti. First batch of the baking season. I had just purchased some dried pineapple chunks that were waiting to be used. And I had a can of crushed pineapple for some juice. AND there on the counter top left to dry out were two branches of rosemary from the herb garden. I thought, at 5:30 in the morning, it would be a good idea to combine the two.

I love love love the smell of the freshly cut herbs from the garden. As an aside, I don't know what we did differently this year, but our rosemary actually bloomed! It looked almost like the lavender plant right next to it in the garden. Maybe it was jealous.

Being that it was so early in the morning and I was delirious with the scent of fresh herbs, I forgot to mix my pineapple chunks into the batter, but hey, I'll have it for the next batch.

I make my biscotti so it is not rock hard and hurts my teeth, yet it is firm enough to last through several coffee dunks. That is what it is all about in this house anyways! Here is my recipe:

Into one mixing bowl goes:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Into another mixing bowl goes:
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 tblsp pineapple juice
3 tblsp Olive Oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

(next time I bake some I will add more photos through the steps)
Slowly add the dry to the wet until a soft dough is formed. I guess you could to this in a food processor, but I don't like to get into the heavy equipment early in the morning. Before coffee. Before sunrise. Or almost ever.

Add 1/2 cup candied or dry pineapple bits. And if you like some piney zing, cut up some rosemary with kitchen shears, about two teaspoons. Add some walnuts if you want. I didn't have any available today.

Butter a cookie sheet up and sprinkle some flour onto it. Knock that flour from side to side so there is a nice coating on the sheet, to keep the log from sticking.

Form the dough into a flat log about four inches wide and as long as the cookie sheet. This stuff is pretty sticky so you might want to dip your finger tips into some flour. Top the log with a sprinkling of Turbinado sugar or large sugar crystals.

Bake about 30 minutes in 350 degree oven until the log is firm to the touch but still dimples from your finger touch. Remove the log from the oven and let sit for as long as it takes for you to make a cup of cappucino, about 7 minutes. Transfer the log to a cutting board with two spatulas so it doesn't break. Cut into 3/4 slices and lie the slices flat on the cookie sheet. Into the oven it goes for about 10 more minutos until there is a nice crisp on the top side. Take them out and with your bare fingers pick one up to dunk into that cappucino before it gets cold. The coffee that is. And the biscotti.

Enjoy,
Until next time!!