‘Tis the season of baking! This weekend, I decided to bake biscotti and pair it with little coffee packages as gifts for my coworkers. Unfortunately, my go-to cooking mentor Barefoot Contessa doesn’t have a biscotti recipe 
So in this instance, I turned to the trusted cooking blog, Smitten Kitchen. Run by Deb, a true foodie, it’s been a favorite of mine for some time but for some strange reason, I’ve never baked any of the recipes! What gives? Looking at pictures of food and dreaming about them is no good. So, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to give Smitten Kitchen a long-overdue try.
The recipe? Toasted almond biscotti. The result? Delicious. They were very easy to make, crisp (without being really hard), and perfect for dunking. I decided to dip mine in chocolate because really, everything is better with a little chocolate. The only surprise with this recipe is how prominent the orange flavor is. It’s not a bad thing (very complimentary to the vanilla and almond). However, it’s more than just an undertone and I think that’s something that’s worth mentioning. Maybe the oranges I bought were just superstar, really strong ones… Overall, highly recommended. (Lots of people at work told me they loved them!)
Almond Biscotti From Smitten Kitchen
Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 1999
They’re supposed to make 3 dozen, but my batch yielded at least 45
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or orange liqueur
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped or sliced almonds
1 large egg white
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, orange liqueur and zest in large bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well blended. Mix in almonds.
Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13 1/2-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each dough log.
Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. Cool logs completely on sheet on rack, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
Transfer logs to work surface; discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.
Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Special thanks to my brother Dan who is helping me with photos while Brian is out of town!
Less than two weeks until Christmas and you’re still making your list? Just in time, it’s the First Annual Little Dish Gift Guide! Delicious, whimsical, even spooky—it’s got a little bit of everything for your favorite foodies…
Genius Design
Designed by Jakob Wagner, it’s the prettiest wall-mounted wine rack. Ever.
$40.00 & up (depending on the configuration)
For The Naughty List: Death By Chocolate
Seriously luxe chocolate, the Mori Ex Cacao Gift Set from DL & Co. features 3 skull-shaped chocolates in the delicious flavors: Curious Chili, Scorched Caramel, and Bitter Brandied Cherry.
$65.00
Barefoot Contessa’s Grab & Go
Cute kits from my very favorite, Ina Garten. The perfect holiday one? Gingerbread Cake Mix with Lemon Curd and a cute Barefoot Contessa spatula.
$14.99
Modular Mixing
The unique nesting design and beautiful colors make this 8-piece Nest Bowl Set the perfect gift for the chic chef who’s short on space. (From UK designers Joseph Joseph)
$58.00
Not For The Faint Of Heart
Chocolate-covered Giant Ants? BBQ Worm Crisps? Edible features seriously out-there snacks for the most adventurous gourmand. (And if you go with the Reindeer Paté, you better make sure they have a sense of humor too.)
£15.00 GBP (Shipping to the US available)
Hippie Love: DIY Granola
With a gift certificate from MixMyGranola.com, the recipient will be able to mix their custom granola blend just the way they like it. Organic granola + Goji berries + Roasted Hazelnuts + Chocolate Raisins? The combinations are endless.
3.99 & up (for 16 oz.) + the cost of mix-ins
Haute Chocolate
Watch the how-to video for this Bialetti Hot Chocolate Pot and you’ll be sold. The electric pot heats and froths milk so it can be used for making lattes, chai teas, and whatever else you can dream up.
$79.99
Gum Drops & Lollipops
A celeb-fave, New York’s Dylan’s Candy Bar is the perfect place to find something for the sweet tooth on your list. Everything from sour treats to premium hot chocolate (my favorite) in the cutest packaging.
$10.00 & up
The Classic (For A Reason)
I’ve never received fruit-of-the-month as a gift, but if I did I’d be really excited. Beautiful, seasonal fruit for 5 months. It’s healthy and this organic version from Harry & David offers a modern take on this classic gift.
$189.95
Want more gifts? Our friend Matthew Jacob’s annual gift guide is always too cool for school.
Sorry about the lack of updates recently. Half of the little dish team has been out traveling the world and will continue to do so over the next few months. Maybe some on-location little dish reviews? We will see! Bear with us though, we promise to keep the reviews coming with the usual witty remarks and impeccable photos.
I really need to go back to Snuffers and give them another shot. Not because this burger was mediocre and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but rather because it was so damn good that I’m beginning to doubt it’s superiority in the land of burgers and need to make sure I wasn’t dreaming the whole thing. Out of all the burgers I have tried so far in this humble Burger Roundup and road to the Best Burger In Dallas, it’s the best I’ve had. A bundle of perfection, hidden behind the mediocre food stigma that is so prevalent in the land of franchised/chain type bar/restaurants. Trust us, Snuffer’s burgers are no pedestrian affair. Definitely an indulgence, but should be taken serious by elitists and amateur foodies alike.
Let’s start with the diced lettuce and let me say, I’m a big fan. Those burger joints that slap a few leaves of green down and think that’s OK, take note. While shredded is a step in the right direction, diced is the pinnacle of burger ingredients. It allows for an even distribution of all toppings into every mouth-watering bite of burger. Every part of the blue cheese burger follows this diced philosophy, from the crispy and fresh bacon, to the raw red onions sprinkled within. (The tomatoes seem to be the only one not playing along and we’ll just let that slide for the sake of a cohesive argument.) Simply put, this burger is divine. It’s full of flavor and even has a secret ingredient. Forget your mustard or ketchup, this burger sneaks in some blue cheese dressing to bring it all together. I thought at first that this might take us into the rare, yet sometimes visited land of blue cheese overload, but thankfully it didn’t.
Snuffers is a real treat when it comes to unhealthy burgers and sinful french fries. Quite the departure from your usual bar fare, I just wish there was one closer to my house. Or…maybe it’s better that there isn’t.
Price: $7.39
3526 Greenville Ave. | Dallas, TX 75206
214.826.6850
Other locations in Addison, Park Cities, Plano, Rockwall, McKinney, Southlake & Highland Village
So I have been uncovering some damn fine french toast lately. You can say I’m a connoisseur. It used to be the only thing I would order for breakfast as a kid, which has turned into an obsession to find the best there is, wherever I am. It’s hard to order though because I’m rarely up early enough to get a breakfast menu. So my french toast endeavors are limited to the all-day-breakfast type places, or come few and far between.
These past two occasions have been at both: at an all-day breakfast place and a trip early enough for breakfast food. Both occasions were wonderful; the first resulting in the best french toast of my life, the second being the most unique french toast to date. You’ll have to wait for the former, but welcome to the latter.
Hattie’s serves a brunch menu on Sundays and if you read the little dish, you are already aware of this. We previously reviewed their take on Chicken and Waffles, and were delighted. Sadly I was not in attendance on that last visit, so this was my first experience with the Hattie’s brunch. I was surprised at the moderate pricing and was expecting a possible drop in quality, but by the look of everyone’s food as it arrived at our table, I knew there was nothing to worry about. There were five in our party and everyone was extremely pleased with their meals. I (of course) ordered the french toast with bananas foster sauce, which turned out to be the best $6.95 I have ever spent on breakfast. I continually go back to our review of the $10 Dream Cafe pancakes and am baffled at how they get away at charging such a price in a mediocre cafe type setting. Hattie’s is brunch at a white linen restaurant where I can get these far superior, delightful french toast slices with bananas, strawberries and a delicious sauce for $7. Who are Dream Cafe kidding? Ridiculous.
The only fault I found with the french toast was that it was extremely rich. The bananas foster sauce, while a welcome rendition of the usual unadventurous staple french toast recipe, became a bit too much about half way through. I would recommend sharing this with someone else and ordering a more traditional omelet or sandwich to balance out the sugar/carmel overload. But that’s it. There’s nothing else to gripe about here. Hattie’s is a fine place for a Sunday brunch with great service, a welcoming atmosphere, moderate pricing, and most importantly, quality food that tastes superb. Go get it!
Price: $6.95
418 Bishop Avenue | Dallas, Texas 75208
214.942.7400
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