Biscotti is to me what the madeleine was to Proust. Well, sort of. When I was in college I spent many hours in my local Second Cup (Canada’s answer to Starbucks) sipping a coffee and dunking a delicious chocolate-covered biscotti into it, while reading a [...]]]>

Biscotti is to me what the madeleine was to Proust. Well, sort of. When I was in college I spent many hours in my local Second Cup (Canada’s answer to Starbucks) sipping a coffee and dunking a delicious chocolate-covered biscotti into it, while reading a book or writing an essay (believe it or not, I actually enjoyed writing essays). Biscotti, for me, have come to symbolize unhurried leisure and enjoyment of the moment while I savor the flavors of the biscuit melting slightly into the coffee. I’m not as refined as Proust, of course, and the biscotti is a rougher-textured, less delicate snack in comparison to the light madeleine. Plus, even after having lived in France, I’ve never been a huge fan of madeleines. I’ve had too many that were dry and tasteless.

During this holiday season, I didn’t so much crave rich cookies and cakes so much as I wanted the flavorful crunch of biscotti, so I whipped up a batch both to bring to Christmas parties as well as to enjoy with my own hot beverage at home.

To reduce the risk of the biscotti breaking as you slice them, make sure the cookie loaf is fully cooled before cutting into it with a sharp serrated knife. My loaf spread quite a bit in the oven, making for a very long slice, so I cut the longer biscotti slices in half to make them more manageable for eating.

Cranberry-Almond Biscotti
I can’t remember where I got this recipe, but it’s good!

½ cup softened unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
Dash salt
½ cup chopped almonds
½ cup dried cranberries
milk for brushing and extra sugar to dust

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Stir in extract.

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Stir together, then fold in almonds and cranberries.

On a greased baking sheet pat the dough into two equal rectangles, about 12×3 inches each. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375 F for 15-30 minutes until golden on top and firm. Use foil to lift each loaf onto a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Slice diagonally about ½ inch thick.

Lower oven temperature to 300 F. Bake slices, this time on an ungreased baking sheet, 10 minutes per side until browned and crisp.

Chris and I were not able to spend Christmas with our families this year, due to the small factor of us being in China, so when Christmas Eve rolled along, we found ourselves planning a special meal for just the two of us. We [...]]]>

Chris and I were not able to spend Christmas with our families this year, due to the small factor of us being in China, so when Christmas Eve rolled along, we found ourselves planning a special meal for just the two of us. We spent the afternoon strolling along Zhongshan Road, the main shopping street, enjoying the Christmas trees and occasionally getting harried by vendors trying to sell watches. We found an excellent grocery store with a lot of good fresh produce (including hand-pulled fresh noodles!), and picked up some duck legs for dinner.

These braised duck legs are oh-so-rich, flavorful, and even though duck legs are inexpensive, they have that “special” factor that makes them worthy of a holiday meal. Keep the browned skins out of the braising liquid and they will crisp up beautifully, while the meat beneath becomes tender and soft. When the duck is done, the braising liquid reduces to a syrupy, sweet and savory wine sauce, with the added tang of dried cranberries.

Serve it with the rest of the bottle of wine you used to braise it in, and use the rendered duck fat to roast potatoes or sweet potatoes. Serve this dish with a green salad or some light vegetable dishes, as a counterpoint to the richness of the duck.

Red-Wine Braised Duck Legs with Cranberries
Adapted from Gourmet 1996

4 whole duck legs, trimmed of excess fat
1 tbsp dried thyme
5 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry red wine, plus extra
1 cup dried cranberries (preferably unsweetened)
2-3 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Score the skin of the duck legs with a sharp knife (but don’t cut the meat). This will help the fat to render.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the duck legs, skin side down, for 10-15 minutes until skin is crisp and dark-brown. Periodically spoon off the rendered duck fat, using a bulb baster if you have one (if not be careful not to burn yourself). Turn legs over to brown the other side briefly, about 2 minutes.

Fit the duck legs snugly into a baking dish (a 9×9 dish was sufficient for mine) and set aside. Deglaze the skillet with the red wine, scraping up any browned bits, and reduce the wine until thick. Add ½ cup cranberries, the thyme, and garlic. Pour liquid around the duck legs. Add enough broth to cover legs, but leaving skin above braising liquid.

Braise in oven for about 2 hours, until meat is tender. Remove legs to a plate. Strain the liquid into a small saucepan, discarding fruit and herbs. Skim off the fat with a spoon. Add ½ cup dried cranberries and another splash of red wine. Boil until reduced to a syrup and cranberries are softened.

Spoon sauce over duck legs just before serving.