Garlic Bread Biscotti

It all started with an innocent conversation on Twitter:

@jo_jo_ba: cooking garlic/onions, baking bread, chocolate chip cookies!

@sensitivepantry: Those may be some of my favorite cooking smells - garlic, bread, cookies.

@jo_jo_ba: lol, I read “garlic bread cookies” - now that’s a combo!

@fourchickens: For the extreme garlic eaters…:)

@sensitivepantry: Oh, that might be a new one. Not sure about its appeal, tho!

@jo_jo_ba: sad thing is I would totally try them… like savoury biscotti

@fourchickens: I agree. Sounds like a yummy idea. Maybe time for some recipe developing??

Who am I to deny a challenge like that? The wheels started turning. I’d been meaning to experiment with savory biscotti and Garlic Bread “Cookies” seemed like a good place to start.

What transpired next was an exploration into biscotti of all types. Researching recipes is a favorite hobby of mine. After checking into what’s going on out there I put my own mark on what I’ve learned and the rest is history.

The resulting biscotti is a rich, spicy little number chock-full of flavor. There’s a hint of garlic but it isn’t overpowering. Added in—a healthy heap of black pepper for spiciness, grated Pecorino Romano because I like my garlic bread cheesy, and sun-dried tomatoes just because. (Yep, that’s why they’re that interesting shade of orange!)

Mix everything together. Bake it in the oven. And, you have a Garlic Bread Biscotti. These are definitely not for everyone and they’re not the type of “cookie” where you’ll eat a plateful in one sitting. So, if you decide to try them pack some away in your freezer and bring them out for that perfect meal—or just a flavorful savory snack.

It’s easy to dream of warming a few in the oven—just enough to crisp up—to pair with a cup of soup. (Chicken Escarole Soup comes to mind.) It’s summer but, here in NJ we’re having a cold, rainy one so soup and warm savory biscotti are not out of the question.

I’ll continue to play with this recipe because it has so many possibilities. But, for now, this one, though unusual, is a keeper. Mangia!

PS—Thanks to my two friends for the inspiration, encouragement, and above all fun! Follow them on Twitter or visit their blogs.

@jo_jo_ba writes about baking and cooking at Yummy Smells

@fourchickens shares her recipes at Four Chickens

Garlic Bread Biscotti

2 flax eggs  

1 cup sorghum 

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1/8 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup oat flour

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper (optional)

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

2 tablespoons honey

3/8 cup olive oil

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (optional)

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, roasted & minced

3 tablespoons rice or other non-dairy milk

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix 2 tablespoons ground flax meal with 6 tablespoons warm water to create two flax eggs.

Combine the dry ingredients: sorghum, tapioca, cornmeal, oat flour, baking powder xanthan gum, salt, pepper (if using) and grated cheese. Whisk all ingredients together.

Dice the sundried tomatoes and pat them dry of any oil. Gently mix them into the dry ingredients making sure they don’t clump together. (You might try tossing them with a little sorghum flour before mixing them into the dry ingredients.)*

Put the gelled flax egg in a large bowl. Whisk in the honey, olive oil, and garlic. Whisk each ingredient in thoroughly before adding the next.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a large spoon to form a stiff dough.

Turn the dough out onto the cookie sheet and spread it out forming a log about 5 inches across and 5/8 inches high. A rubber spatula works well for shaping the dough.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool for about 15-20 minutes and then transfer the warm biscotti log to a cutting board.

Cut the log into 1/2 inch strips, transferring them back onto the parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake again for about 10-12 minutes until just beginning to brown. Flip and bake another 5 minutes. (Watch them carefully during this step to make sure they don’t burn.)

*I made my biscotti in a food processor but this was not optimal since this is a heavy dough. And, as you can see the food processor blade mixed the sun-dried tomatoes throughout the dough and colored it orange. I would have preferred to have beautiful dots of sun-dried tomato throughout the dough.

PRINT RECIPE

Grilled Mediterranean Kabobs

July is turning out to be a beautiful month. OK, it’s a little cool for July but, personally, I like it that way. Anything other than the torrentially rainy and gloomy June we just had has to be viewed as a perfect month weatherwise.

It’s finally feeling like we may have a summer. We’ve come out of hibernation and are anxious for fun activities that take us out of the house. We’re outdoors more frequently and later into the evening. It feels so good.

Who wants to be in the kitchen in front of a hot stove in the summer? Not me. I want a good meal but an easy one. These Mediterranean Kabobs are just that—easy. For lunch, for dinner, even as an appetizer.

Grilled Mediterranean Kabobs

Ingredients:

GF fully cooked chicken sausage
Frozen, thawed artichoke hearts
Red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
Large, pimento stuffed, green olives
Italian dressing

Tip: The vegetables may be available in your grocer’s salad bar— making this an even easier meal to prepare.

Cut the chicken sausages into one inch chunks, artichoke hearts in half, and peppers into slices and then 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. Slide the vegetables, green olives and chicken sausages onto water soaked wooden skewers. Alternate chicken sausage and vegetables until each skewer is about 2/3 of the way full. When you’re done with each place it in the bottom of a large baking dish. Once complete sprinkle with Italian dressing (your favorite or oil, vinegar, salt and pepper will work just fine). Twirl each kebob around until it is fully covered with the dressing.

Place the kabobs on the grill until heated through and the sausages are sporting some nice seared grill marks. Serve immediately with your favorite summer salads.

NOTE: I like Al Fresco All Natural Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage. They are gluten-free and fully cooked.

PRINT RECIPE