Dunk, doodle and dream

Last night while grading papers, my mind wandered. (Actually, it screamed “COME ON, ALREADY!”, but “wandered” sounds much better, don’t you think?)

We are at the end of the semester at school. FInal exams are this week. And, to be honest, I had truly hoped *NOT* to be at school much passed these exams. I thought that maybe our little chicklet would be here and that I could easily transition to stay-at-home-mommy. That’s a shocking thing for me – I *NEVER* dreamed of being at SAHM! In fact, that was a stipulation in our marriage: I work… HE can stay home. LOL

I absolutely LOVE my job.
Really!

While teaching keeps me incredibly busy, I learn something everyday. Those kids keep me hopping. After all…. any sign of weakness in a jungle and… well, you know what I mean. LOL

In all honesty, there is only one part of my job that makes me want to pull a Rip-VanWinkle or cry: grading papers. UGH! Truly, grading papers is my Achilles’ heel. I invariably postpone the grading until I have to spend an entire day (or MORE!) of my weekend curled up on the couch with a red pen in hand. Yesterday was no exception. And tonight isn’t looking too good for free time either.

However, sitting still is also a difficult task for me to perform. (Just ask anyone who has rented a movie or tried to watch a movie at home with me. It’s definitely NOT the same as being in a theater!) To take a break, I decided to do something with the incredible fresh oranges that we’ve been enjoying.

I found this basic recipe for biscotti; and having no time to reinvent the wheel, I just converted it to be gluten-free. Biscotti is actually an easy treat to make for yourself – don’t be intimidated. My roommates and I used to make biscotti for Holiday gifts for friends/colleagues. (My favorite was our Yin-Yang Black/White Chocolate with Cherry Biscotti. MMMM!)

I made a small batch (only making 1 loaf) and then decided that a little chocolate was irresitible. Sometimes you just have to do it. What can I say?

Needless to say, munching on these and dipping them in to my cinnamon-spiked coffee was *the* trick. I finished grading 4 of 5 classes and have only one left to drive me crazy tonight. Thankfully, I still some biscotti on hand.

Have you made biscotti before?
What are your preferred flavors?

Here are mine:
Dark Chocolate-Cherry Biscotti (Chocolate Chunks, not dipped)
Walnut-Honey Biscotti
Lemon & Pine Nut Biscotti

and now… I think I’m quite thrilled with this Orange-Almond flavoring. I’ll be making these again soon.  There are NOT overly sweet.  I found them to be just right – and perfect for dunking.  MMM.

Gluten Free Orange-Almond Biscotti (with Dark Chocolate)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)
This recipe makes 12 pieces of biscotti (approximately 1 inch wide by 6 inches long).

Ingredients:
100 grams (heaping 1/2 cup) raw almonds
2/3 cup sorghum flour (or millet flour or rice flour)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped oragne zest (from one large navel or Cara Cara Orange)
2 eggs

Chocolate Topping:
1 cup dark chocolate pieces or chips (or semi-sweet chips/pieces)
1 teaspoon butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Whirl almonds in the bowl of your food processor until a coarse meal is formed.
3. Dump in remaining ingredients and whirl in the food processor until it comes together in a ball.
(Don’t worry… it really does come together in a ball!)
4. Scrap out dough and shape into a wide (4 inches by 12 inches) rectangle on parchment paper.
5. Bake for 24-26 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool 15-20 minutes.
7. Cut in to one inch thick slices (makes 12 pieces of biscotti).
8. Arrange the biscotti slices on the parchment/on the pan so that they can bake evenly.
9. Bake for 20 more minutes.
10. Allow to cool completely. Enjoy as is or add chocolate to delight your tastebuds!

TO ADD CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE or COATING:
1. Melt chocolate and butter in a metal bowl placed over simmering water, stirring constantly.
2. Use a spoon or spatula to smear/frost the chocolate on one side of the biscotti cookie.
3. Set aside on the parchment paper to cool/set

I can’t wait to hear your biscotti ideas.
I’ve got some waiting time on my hands….
I could sure use the inspiration to direct my energy elsewhere! 🙂
-Kate