Dead blogs...

Surfing the net, I come across many blogs in which the writers haven't written in months or even years. Makes you wonder, what happened to them? [I was one of them once. I had this blog for a year and I remember I stopped because I lost interest in writing about my life. Then I decided to write about other interesting stuff other than my life] Question such as what happened to them? Did they forgot their password? Or did they died??? come into mind.

Many people die, but they leave their unfinished business in the internet. There should be a job for someone to collect or clean out what ever is lost and never be use again. When I read the last thing they wrote, I think to myself, 'was this what they wanted to write or where they planning on editing some more later?'

All these questions where brought on by a book that I am reading. A woman writes to her best friend about her day and how she misses him. As she send the email, her best friend dies in a terrorist attack. That last email is lost in that man's inbox. There will be no one to open it and read that letter. That letter is lost. That email account will forever be lost, too. That letter was unknowingly her last letter to him, and he never got the chance to read it. Lost words. Lost message...

Okay I am just rambling.

Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti

Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti

So here is the recipe of these wonderful biscotti. I made another batch last night with my little sister. I got the recipe from Martha Stewart, though slightly altered. Here it is:

Ingredient:

1/2 c dried cranberries

1/2 c boiling water

2 1/2 c all purpose flour

1/2 c whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 tbsp soften butter

1/2 c white sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar

3 large eggs, plus one egg lightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cold brewed coffee

1/2 c mix of roughly and fine chop unsalted pistachios

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the cranberries is a small bowl with the boiling water, set aside for 15 minute

s. Drain, ans set aside.

3. In a bowl shift flours, salt, and baking powder.

4. In another bowl cream together the butter and the sugars together. Add the eggs (only three), one at a time. Then mix in the vanilla and the coffee.

5. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet

ingredients, in small batches.

6. Fold in the pistachios and the cranberries. In a floured surface, turn out the dough. Knead to incorporate the pistachio and cranberries better.

7. Divide the dough in half and make two logs of equal size (about 16x2 inches). Place onto the baking sheet. With the palm of your hand gently press down, flattening the logs. Brush the logs with the beaten egg. Sprinkle generously with sugar.

8. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch ( remember to rotate the baking pan halfway through).

9. Place to cool in a cooling rack for 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 300 F.

10. Cut the logs into 1/2 inches slices. Place in a greased cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn off oven and let the biscotti in for 15 minutes. Then bring out of the oven and enjoy.

My sister's tea party went well. There were only two of her friend due to the incoming dreaded finals week. The menu was the following:

-Cranberry Pistachio Icebox cookies,

-Raspberry mini cheesecakes,

-Mini brownies,

-Honey and Walnut biscuits,

- Thin cucumber sandwiches,

-pineapple cupcakes;

but after contemplating on the menu, I changed some of the items. Instead of making cranberry-pistachio cookies, I made biscotti. And instead of raspberry cheesecakes, I made strawberries cheesecakes with tiny heart made from the strawberry sauce [funny thing happened that a few of the cheesecake crack, the crack ran across the hearts, what a bad omen!!!]. I did not have time to make the cucumber sandwiches because my sister wanted to make Chilaquiles ( a mexican dish that she had just learned to make herself) to show off her cooking skills :) I made the honey walnut biscuits with whole wheat flour (was rying to be healthy) Bad idea. I did not like how they tasted or how they smell. I am going to stick with white flour for now until i have the courage to try another 'healthy' recipe.

Instead of pineapple cupcakes, I made flour-less chocolate cupcakes, for a friends grandmother who is glucose-intolerant from Martha Stewart book, Cupcakes . They had a chocolate mousse texture, mi mom said they taste a bit weird, so I ate one, as as you know chocolate makes me sick, but when i tasted them they were not bad, as long as you are not expecting the classic cupcake taste of chocolate bread [I had a bad stomachache that night but i had to make sure that they were ok]. I serve these flour-less cakes with sliced strawberries, which were called the "pièce de resistance" of the whole treat :) Unfortunately I did not have the chance to take picture but I will post the recipe for each of these treat when I make them again and I will post the photographs along with the recipe. I will probably invite anyone who read this to cocme and eat them.

Tea Party

My sister is having a tea party on Saturday, and she has ask me if i can make her all the pastries. She wants a large variety. Some of the treat I am thinking of making are the following:

-Cranberry Pistachio Icebox cookies

-Raspberry mini cheesecakes

-Mini brownies

-Honey and Walnut biscuits

- Thin cucumber sandwiches

-pineapple cupcakes

All accompanied by White temple Tea, from A.C Perch's Thehandel (Best tea shop for all tea

lovers, can be bought online, but the experience of going to this store is phenomenal. Its

an old family own shop were they use different metal weights and a 1800's balance and an even older cash register. The service was great too, they are friendly and they are happy to give as much as of their time as needed; though there is always a long line to get

service.)

I'm going to try and just make 1/4 of each recipes, to have a few of each. I'll post pictures once I make them on Friday evening.