Home Made Biscotti

Biscotti

These gorgeous Biscotti are a delightful kitchen staple.  
Great for dipping into Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.

I had the most beautiful walk along the break wall prior to work this morning.  Half a dozen young men board riding on Tuncurry beach, a full, waning tide and other happy walkers who cheerfully received and proffered  a ‘good morning’ comment.  






Fishermen in the channel, some serious ones had a live bait tank with bait fish and three nice Mulloway trophies framed on the grass.  
One lone man swimming laps in the rockpool on the lake side. 

 It is such a picturesque, gorgeous scene and this memory will sustain me through this lovely working day.

It is moments like these that create peace and contentment, much like munching on crisp biscotti.

Biscotti

250g castor sugar
60g butter, softened
zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
400g plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
150g  almonds
3 tablespoons sweet wine or sweet sherry


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Mix butter and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth.  Add the grated zest of 1 lemon, 2 eggs then beat well by hand with a spoon.  Mix in flour, sifted baking powder and salt.  Mix in the whole almonds and sweet wine gently until just combined.
Line a baking tray with paper or a silicon sheet.  
Form 3 equal log shapes out of the mixture, dusting your hands with flour and making them roughly 5cm wide by 20cm long.  Place on baking tray and cook for 20 minutes until they are lightly golden and firm.
Remove from the oven and slice, while still warm, at a slight angle, about 1.5cm wide biscuits.  A serrated knife works well.
Place biscuits, cut side up, onto fresh ungreased baking trays.  Put back in the oven for about 10 minutes to firm up, remove when fully cooked but not browned.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container when cold.  These will keep for two weeks.

Biscotti loaves

Lovely biscotti, perfect for anytime of the day.
Buon appetito Merryn

Wild Ducks and Kookaburras

I have just discovered that the best way to be really busy at work is to start a blog.
Thinking to share my love of cooking and gardening I have been taking more photos than normal this year.
Planning to spend my spare free quiet time at work recording my different life passions and obsessions has been incredibly worth while (not only because work is busier than ever).  Usually winter months are a little slower but not so this year, which could be a good indicator for our nations' economic recovery, but not so encouraging, apparently, for newbie food bloggers.

Just last week I noticed these gorgeous wild ducks had come to visit our garden.

At first there were two ...

Then on the next day we had four ...

Then slowly but surely, we had many more!
It is delightful seeing them meander around our garden.
They love the milky thistle weed depicted in the lower left hand corner of this photograph.

Then I spotted Kookaburras on the tomato frame.

This one was only temporarily alone before he rejoined his family ...

This brightened an overcast day so much and reminds me how lucky we are to live in such healthy surroundings with the beauty of nature and flora.

Mind you, my husband weeded the milky thistle weed yesterday so I, for one, will be quite happy if the ducks now enjoy the lettuce patch :D