Helens Black Pepper Walnut Biscotti Recipes

HELEN'S PEROGIES

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes until well done, drain and mash with butter. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the onions and bacon together. Reserve 1/2 cup of mixture for spooning over the cooked perogies. Add the remaining bacon and onions to the potatoes. Stir the cheese into the potato mixture. Mix well. Chill until very cold. Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Pour water and oil into the well. Mix together. Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time until dough is firm. Knead dough until mixture does not stick to hands. Cover tightly and let stand for 1/2 hour in a warm place. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut in 2-inch diameter circles. Add 1 teaspoon filling, fold over 1 half of circle and press the edges together to seal. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon oil, then add perogies. Stir occasionally to perogies won't stick to the bottom. When perogies rise to the top, add 1 cup cold water to stop the cooking. Remove the perogies with a slotted spoon. Perogies will cook in 3 to 4 minutes. Serve topped with reserved onion-bacon mixture.

WALNUT, ORANGE AND BLACK PEPPER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To begin, toast and chop the walnuts, have ready the zests, grind the pepper and bring butter and eggs to room temperature.
• Line two trays with parchment paper or nonstick liners like Exopat. Have ready a large floured surface, a dough scraper and extra parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl sift the flours, baking powder, soda, salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well, and add the zest and vanilla.
• Stir in the dry mixture into the butter mixture, then add the nuts. Do not over mix but also don't leave streaks of flour either. You will have quite a goopy mess.
• Tip the dough out onto your work surface. Divide the dough into pieces. Two pieces for large trad. size biscotti, four pieces for smaller, thinner ones.
• With floured hands and/or your dough scraper, form into logs about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide, quickly place onto trays about 3" apart, brush off excess flour, and put into the middle of preheated oven. (I say quickly because if you bumble about.
• picking the logs up they will fall back onto the board. If this happens, don't worry, just form into logs and try again.).
• If you don't want to cook all of the logs, wrap them up in parchment, then saran wrap and freeze.
• Cook for about 20 mins (small) or 25 mins (large logs) until they are just turning golden.
• Remove from oven, let cool on baking rack for 10 minutes or so -- longer doesn't hurt.
• Now put the biscotti logs on a big cutting board, cut them on the diagonal about 3/4" wide, replace on same trays cut side down and place in oven (still 350° F.) for 7-8 minutes or until as hard as you want. I like them like granite so it takes them longer.
• Let cool on racks and then store in airtight containers.

BLACK PEPPER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in Grand Marnier, lemon peel and vanilla. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in dry ingredients. Cover and chill just until slightly firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle powdered sugar on work surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half on sugar to 11-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake until firm to touch, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Transfer logs to work surface. Discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake until dry, about 20 minutes. Cool on racks. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight.)