Chocolate Chip-Orange Biscotti (recipe, pareve)

Chocolate Chip-Orange Biscotti P Yield: about 48 pieces

This is a one bowl recipe that can be made by hand or with an electric mixer.

Prep time: 20 min.  Baking time: 35-45 min.  Cooling: 20 min.

Slicing & toasting: 30 min.

Ingredients           

1 cup sugar                     

3 cups flour                     

1 teaspoon baking powder           

¾ cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

1 tablespoon orange liqueur

¾ cup non-dairy mini chocolate chips

Equipment

Electric mixer

Large cookie sheet lined with baking parchment

Cooling rack

Directions

1. Pour sugar, flour and baking powder into bowl of electric mixer. Mix on low speed for one minute. Make a well in the center and add the oil, eggs, orange liqueur. Add chocolate chips as you start mixing ingredients on slow speed. Stop mixer when ingredients are well blended.
2. Preheat oven to: 350 F.
3. Divide dough into thirds. Knead each third on a flat surface and then shape dough into a loaf about 7” long and 1” thick. Repeat process until you have placed three loaves on cookie sheet. Bake 35-45 minutes until loaves have browned. Remove from oven and cool about 20 minutes. Do not turn off the oven.
4. Use a sharp knife and cut loaves into ¼ inch slices. Arrange slices neatly on cookie sheet. Return cookie sheet to preheated oven and toast slices 10-15 minutes. Cool Biscotti on rack.

Julia Child's Chocolate Truffles made Pareve!

I can't imagine what Julia would have said if she had heard that her truffles were being made with --gasp--pareve margarine instead of her beloved butter.  They truly are equally delicious, but perhaps it's best that she never knew ;) 

Julia Child’s Chocolate Truffles- In My Words, and Pareve Yield: about 36 truffles

The original recipe is on page 472 of Vol. Two of Mastering the Art of French Cooking

These tiny little truffles are a chocaholic’s dream. They are rich, creamy and totally delicious! An extra perk is that these are a great treat for Passover!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon espresso powder/instant coffee dissolved in ¼ cup water
7 ounces pareve chocolate chips
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
5 ounces pareve margarine
¼ cup orange liqueur
½ + cup unsweetened pareve cocoa
Equipment
Double boiler
Hand held electric mixer
Paper candy cups
Directions

1. Fill bottom of double boiler with just enough water so that the top does not touch water. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to a slight simmer.
2. Mince the unsweetened chocolate with a sharp knife and add it along with the chocolate chips and dissolved coffee to the top piece of double boiler. Insert the top into bottom of double boiler and cover. Remove cover every few minutes and stir until chocolate has melted. Beat chocolate with electric mixer until smooth. Remove from heat and continue to beat chocolate a few minutes until cool.
3. Cut margarine into tablespoons and beat them, one at a time, into chocolate. When you have a totally smooth mixture, dribble in the orange liqueur and beat until it is well incorporated into chocolate. Chill chocolate mixture about two hours until it is firm enough to scoop.
4. Pour cocoa onto a shallow dish. Separate about three dozen paper candy cups and line them up in front of you.
5. I’ve formed the truffles two ways. 1. Take two teaspoons. Scoop a small amount of chocolate with one and scrape it out with another. Then, mold an uneven ball with your hands and roll the ball into the cocoa. Place in a candy cup. 2. Scoop chocolate mixture with a small melon baller, scrape it out with a narrow knife, roll in cocoa and place in candy cup. I find the second option quicker, easier and neater.  Keep truffles refrigerated for a few weeks or keep them in the freezer for a few months.

Meringues--The Magic of Egg Whites

Meringues

It’s amazing what egg whites and sugar can create.

INGREDIENTS

• whites of 6 large eggs
  
• 1 ½ cups super fine sugar
  
• small pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Separate eggs. Put egg whites in bowl of mixer and allow to come to room temperature. Use yolks for another recipe or discard.
   
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
   
3. Add small pinch of salt to whites. Using the whisk attachment of your mixer, start beating the whites on medium to high speed. As the whites begin to take shape, but are still quite droopy, add 1 cup of sugar while beating constantly. Beat for one or two minutes. As the mixture starts to become stiff and shiny, add remaining ½ cup sugar and continue to beat until meringue can form stiff peaks that retain their shape.
   
4. Preheat oven to: 180 F.
   
5. To form cookies: 1. Remove a teaspoonful of meringue from the bowl and push it on to the cookie sheet with another spoon. You will probably have a peak on top which you can leave or gently press down with your finger. Repeat process until mixing bowl is empty. You can place the meringues right next to one another as they do not spread while cooking. 2. Fill a pastry bag with meringue and attach the tip of your choice. Pipe cookies on to the cookie sheet.
   
6. My personal preference is to have snow white meringues but their taste does not suffer if they look toasty. Bake meringues for about 90 minutes (take them out sooner if they start to take on color.) and then turn off the oven and leave them in the oven overnight. Carefully, remove meringues from cookie sheets and store in an air-tight container.

The Perfect Way to End Your Thanksgiving Festivities: Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

This pie is especially delicious when made with fresh pumpkin and. better than anything you’ll get in a box!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 9” baked pie shell
  
• 1 ½ cups pureed fresh pumpkin
  
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  
• ¼ cup cold water
  
• 2 eggs-separated
  
• ¼ cup sugar
  
• ½ cup honey
  
• ½ cup non-dairy creamer
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
  
• optional: 3 additional egg whites
  
• 6 teaspoons sugar
  
• pinch cream of tartar
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Open package of gelatin and pour into cold water. Stir until all granules are moistened.
   
2. Place yolks, sugar, and ¼ cup honey in the top of double boiler. Beat ingredients until thick. Add pumpkin, non-dairy milk, salt and spices to thickened mixture.
   
3. Fill bottom of double boiler with water until it is half full. Bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and place top over water. Stir ingredients until mixture has thickened.
   
4. Add gelatin and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat. Scrape mixture into glass bowl and chill until it begins to thicken (about 2-3 hours).
   
5. Beat egg whites with remaining ¼ cup honey until peaks form.
   
6. Fold beaten egg whites into pumpkin mixture. Scrape into cooked pie shell and chill. Serve chilled.
   
7. Optional: Beat additional egg whites until frothy. Add pinch cream of tartar. Continue beating, adding sugar 2 teaspoons at a time until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue attractively over pumpkin pie. Place in 425 oven for about 8 minutes or until some of the meringue peaks have browned. Remove from oven and chill.