Failing to find anything healthy to munch on ( and munch must I, because I am a natural muncher...and you guys know how crazy I am over anything that goes c-r-u-n-c-h!), I decided to make myself some.
So, as the posting trend of late on this blog is just posting whatever is handy for the current month,( for the lack of ideas and to keep up with the promise to you two, if you cannot tell already) here is the account of what I have gotten myself into last week.
On hindsight, this is really not a bad idea at all as this recipe is definitely for keep if you wish to continue eating healthily throughout your life.(I surely hope you do!)
Maybe one day, when I'm long gone, you could take a peek here whenever you crave for something healthy Mama used to make.
On hindsight, this is really not a bad idea at all as this recipe is definitely for keep if you wish to continue eating healthily throughout your life.(I surely hope you do!)
Maybe one day, when I'm long gone, you could take a peek here whenever you crave for something healthy Mama used to make.
So here goes....
PUMPKIN SEED, OAT AND CRANBERRY BISCOTTI
200g egg whites
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
150g caster sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract( I still fail to find this, so I use the usual cheap vanilla flavour)(edited later: yeay! Abah brought back pure vanilla crystals from Turkey for me!!!)
grated zest of 1 lemon
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| zesting the lemon was easy-peasy lemon squeezy using this zester (hehe..sorry, cant resist it! I love my zester!!) |
Flour Mixture
300g plain flour,sifted ( I used Red Rose flour, being low-gluten, it helps produce a tender and light biscotti compared to normal flour)
2 tsp baking powder,sifted
1 tbsp ground cardamom,sifted ( I have never seen one, but I have ground cinnamon of course, so, in it goes..)
100g rolled oats
150g dried cranberry
60g sweetened shredded Hawaiian coconut (I underestimated our local bakery supplier and asked for regular dessicated coconut and was pleasantly surprised to find the exact ingredients asked for ,sitting pretty on the shelf)
200g pumpkin seeds.(The original recipe uses pistachio instead of pumpkin seed. I have pistachios... as my gym buddy who is married to an Iranian keeps kindly supplying me with plump pistachios,walnuts,almonds and raisins from Iran, but I love eating pistachios on their own too much!! So I opted to use pumpkin seeds instead as they have the same green hues....Whattodo, I'm greedy when it comes to nuts!!)
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| I tried to use as much organic product as I could.... |
Whisk egg whites with salt until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar till glossy and stiff peak forms. Look something like this;
Beat in yolk until combined. Add vanilla and lemon zest. Fold in flour mixture in three batches and mix well with a spatula to form a sticky dough.
Step 2: Shaping
You can shape the dough as desired but as I was pushed for time ( as I always am...), I opted for the easiest one lah...the logs!
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| urghh..they look so ugly!! (next time, must make it flatter) |
Do take note that you need to oil the plastic sheet otherwise the dough will stick. (I am so lucky to still have this Tupperware rolling sheet that I got in the UK almost 14 years ago. It is still in excellent condition after serving me well in my experimenting years of baking pies after pies thus piling pounds after pounds on myself and Abah,huhu...
Adik, when the time comes and I pass this to you, take good care of it okay. Even if the Tupperware claims that they give it a lifetime guarantee, they just dont make this anymore...With all those measurement printed on it, it really made things a lot more easier and less wastage esp when rolling n cutting pastry to fit the tin .)
Adik, when the time comes and I pass this to you, take good care of it okay. Even if the Tupperware claims that they give it a lifetime guarantee, they just dont make this anymore...With all those measurement printed on it, it really made things a lot more easier and less wastage esp when rolling n cutting pastry to fit the tin .)
Step 3: First Baking
Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with a non-stick parchment. Brush the top with egg whites for glossy effect. Bake @ 160C for 20 to 25 min.
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| I have used this magic carpet over and over again for so many years..... |
Step 4: Slicing
Cool the logs before you slice it and use serrated knife. It is a MUST!!
Step 5: Second Baking
Arrange the slices in single layer and bake @ 150C for 25 min, turning half way through baking.
(That is what the instruction in the magazine said...
But, a glance at the clock told me that I only have 15 minutes before I have to rush out to get Adik at school....)
So, I made up my own timing.
And ended up with.....
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| not so pretty biscotti...... |
This recipe is taken from Malaysia's premier food and lifestyle magazine,Flavours, which I subscribed to. It promised a colourful mosaic of green, red and white fine textured biscuit riddled with tiny bubbles , and offers a crisp , firm bite with with cardamom spiciness.
Well, I got green and white from pumpkin seeds and oats alright, but the red of the cranberries was nowhere to be seen after I decided to turn on the the temperature to speed up the baking time....they turned dark brown!!
BUT, rest assured, they ARE good and filling and satisfying. Totally recommended. I baked it on Sunday and on Monday Adik fasted and ate a piece of it for sahoor with a mug of hot chocolate and came back from school at 4 PM saying, "Mama, please make more for Ramadhan. I'm going to eat them for sahoor everyday...".
p/s; I gave a few pieces to my good friend cum business partner, the famous Kak Chik, and she gave her thumbs-up with caution, "not for denture wearers", haha!!
BUT, rest assured, they ARE good and filling and satisfying. Totally recommended. I baked it on Sunday and on Monday Adik fasted and ate a piece of it for sahoor with a mug of hot chocolate and came back from school at 4 PM saying, "Mama, please make more for Ramadhan. I'm going to eat them for sahoor everyday...".
p/s; I gave a few pieces to my good friend cum business partner, the famous Kak Chik, and she gave her thumbs-up with caution, "not for denture wearers", haha!!
