I’ve been craving my Nonna’s homemade Almond Biscotti. I think of her often – she was such a huge influence in my life. I miss her presence and I miss her authentic Italian cooking – especially her homemade Almond Biscotti.

I don’t know why I’ve never made it. I think I shied away because it seemed time consuming and difficult – after all it is a TWICE baked cookie.

Well today…I was determined and going to make it and challenge myself. I wanted to taste homemade Almond Biscotti – and for a second be transported back to my childhood and back in my Nonna’s kitchen…watching her carefully make biscotti.

She always dipped each piece into her coffee. Funny how I can remember these small details but can’t remember in my hurried life if I’ve put on deodorant when I’m running late out the door to go to work 😭

Well…I conquered my biscotti challenge and it was a success. They came out perfect and tasted almost as good as my Nonna’s. I even dipped a piece in coffee – just because 😉

Ti Ammo, Nonna ❤️ Viva Italia 🇮🇹

Almond Biscotti

Ingredients

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup Sliced Almonds

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 Cup Butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and almonds and whisk to thoroughly combine.

Set the bowl aside.

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Whisk to fully combine.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture.
Use a rubber spatula to mix and combine until a dough forms.

Add the dough onto a floured work surface and knead a couple of times until the dough comes together – add extra flour if necessary.

Start to form the dough into a big, fat cigar and cut it in half. Form each half into a cigar about 1 inch thick, 2 inches wide and about 12 inches long. Place them onto the baking sheet and lightly press with fingers to slightly flatten.

Bake for 25 minutes – reverse the baking sheet halfway through. The biscotti will be firm to the touch and just slightly browned.

Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 300 degrees.

Allow the biscotti to cool on the cookie sheet for at least 15 minutes.

Carefully remove to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to slice the biscotti on an angle about 1/2 inch thick to form the biscotti.

Return the biscotti back to a parchment lined baking sheet with either cut side down and place back in the oven for 15 minutes.

Turn over each biscotti and return to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes.

Allow the biscotti to cool on a cooling rack rack to room temperature.

Store the biscotti in an airtight container.

White & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Michelle Obama submitted her White & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe to Family Circle Magazine in 2012 for the potential First Lady Cookie Bake-Off. 

Mrs. Obama had submitted the cookie recipe for the cookie bake-off against Anne Romney. 

For the contest, voters had the chance to vote which cookie they liked the most and it was predicted that the winner of the cookie contest’s husband would be elected to the Presidency. Mrs Obama’s cookie did win the contest that year and as they say…the rest is history.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 stick Crisco butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening (I used a stick of unsalted butter vs the shortening) 

¾ cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup each white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips and mint chocolate chips, or Andes mint pieces.

2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in flour mixture. By hand, stir in white and milk chocolate chips, mint chips and walnuts.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Family Circle’s Magazine’s First Lady Cookie Bake-Off contest ran from 1992-2016. In 2012, Michelle Obama submitted her recipe for White & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies while Ann Romney submitted her M&M Cookie recipe.

For the contest, voters had the chance to decide which cookie they liked the most. It was a fun prediction that the husband of the winner of the cookie contest would be elected to the Presidency. Mrs Obama’s cookie did win the contest that year and as they say… the rest is history.

While being interviewed by ABC News in 2012, Michelle Obama said:

“Every evening, Barack, the girls and I sit down for a family dinner with good conversation and healthy food. If we want to splurge, these White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies, created by the girls’ godmother, are the perfect special treat,”

To be completely honest…I’m not a huge fan of plain chocolate chip cookies. They are probably my least favorite actually. However, I love white chocolate and mint anything so the combination of all three in this cookie? It’s truly one of my favorite cookies of all time!

White & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 stick Crisco butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening (I used a stick of unsalted butter vs the shortening)

¾ cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup each white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate) and mint chocolate chips or Andes mint pieces.

2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter, vegetable shortening (or butter) granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in flour mixture. By hand, stir in white and milk chocolate chips, mint chips and walnuts.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool com-pletely.

Last night for our Sunday family dinner I made Peanut Butter Cookies and used Jimmy Carter’s grandmother’s recipe. These cookies are so easy to make and have minimal ingredients.

Oh…they are also incredibly delicious!

Peanut Butter Cookies 

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients. Form into walnut sized balls. 

Put on ungreased cookie sheet, then mash down slightly with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. 

Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until golden brown.

Signed a few books and the very FIRST was for Cindy. I couldn’t have done this without you, Cindy. My partner. My best friend. I love you!

My cookbook is now on Amazon 🥰

So I did a little thing and…published a book! It’s something I had been working on for years and finally made it happen. Thank you to my best friend Cindy Zielinski Cherry for baking and making some of the recipes in her own test kitchen in Missouri and for editing it with me. What a process! And for Marlin for being my official taste taster, and for his patience and support as I baked like a maniac to get this done. The book is now on Amazon 🥰

https://a.co/d/4qOYqDR

This past Sunday we had a family dinner and I made a delicious Orange Velvet Cake.

The cake was so delicious with a hint of orange flavor in the cake and topped with delicious orange cream cheese frosting. This cake will be wonderful for a Summer get together, brunch or bridal shower and is now on my “most favorites” list because it’s just so yummy 😋

Ingredients for the Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp orange zest

3/4 cup orange juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBSP white vinegar

Optional: a few drops of orange food coloring to add more of an orange tint to the cake if desired

Ingredients for the Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese (1 brick), softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp orange zest

1-2 tsp orange juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, or line them with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set the bowl aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, eggs and oil until well combined.

Add the buttermilk, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract and white vinegar.
Mix until smooth.

If using orange food coloring, add a few drops for extra color.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Divide the batter evenly and add to the prepared pans.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pans for at least ten minutes and carefully remove from the pans. Transfer the cakes to wire baking racks to cool completely.

Prepare the frosting while the cake is cooling.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.

Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix.

Stir in the orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract.

Frost the cake when completely cooled.

Add fresh orange slices or orange zest to the top if desired.

This is probably in the top five of my favorite cakes of ALL time. I absolutely love almond cakes…almond cookies…almond everything!! The cake is so incredibly moist and especially topped with the amaretto glaze (because I just can’t get enough almond flavoring and always need more in my life!) 🤣

Amaretto Pound Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar

2 oranges for orange zest

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter – cubed

1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sour cream

4 large eggs

3 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

For the Amaretto Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur

1 tablespoon while milk + plus more if needed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan very well.

In a large mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar and orange zest. Use your fingers to rub together until the zest is well blended into the sugar.

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine all of the ingredients.

Add the cold cubed butter.

Use a hand-held mixer or stand-alone mixer to mix on low speed until the butter is incorporated and the mixture has a crumbly texture.

Add in the whole milk and continue to mix on low speed to blend the milk with all of the ingredients.

In a separate large mixing bowl, add the sour cream, eggs, amaretto, vanilla extract and almond extract. Whisk to combine.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until all of the ingredients are combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Use a toothpick to check the center to test if the cake is thoroughly done.

Remove from the oven. Cool for at least ten minutes before gently and carefully removing the cake from the pan. Use a table knife if necessary to insert on the sides to assist in loosening up the cake from the pan.

Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the Amaretto Glaze.

When the cake is completely cooled…make the Amaretto Glaze.

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, amaretto, and one tablespoon of whole milk. Whisk to combine the ingredients. Add more milk if necessary – at least one teaspoon at a time, until the glaze has a thick, drizzling consistency.

Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Slice and enjoy 😉

Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Almond Cake was a favorite of the Lincoln family. In my former bakery, we used to refer to the cake as “the courtship cake” because Mrs. Lincoln often made the cake during their courtship and I like to think it won his heart ❤️

The cake was often made for special family events. It is also documented as being on the dessert table at the Lincoln home in Springfield, Illinois, for the celebration of President Lincoln being elected to the Presidency for the first time on November 6, 1860.

Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Almond Cake

Ingredients

1 Cup blanched almonds, chopped in a food processor until they resemble a coarse flour

1 Cup butter, softened

2 Cups granulated sugar

3 Cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 Cup whole milk

6 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

confectionary sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.

Cream butter and sugar. Sift flour and baking powder 3 times. Add to creamed butter and sugar, alternating with milk. Stir in almonds and beat well.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Stir in vanilla extract.

Pour into prepared pan and and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and cool. When cool, sift confectionary sugar over the top.

One of President Ronald Reagan’s favorite desserts was Mrs. Reagan’s Vienna Chocolate Bars. The recipe below has been slightly adapted from the original recipe.

Nancy Reagan’s Vienna Chocolate Bars

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 egg yolks

4 egg whites

1 jar (10 ounces) seedless raspberry preserves

2 cups pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and egg yolks. Set the bowl aside.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt until blended. A

Add the flour to the butter mixture. Use your hands to mix the dough until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Spread the dough and use your hands to pat down the dough evenly onto a well greased or parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven. Spread the raspberry preserves evenly onto the crust – covering from corner to corner. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the preserves.

In a medium bowl, add the egg whites and use an electric handheld mixer to beat until stiffened. Gently fold in the remaining granulated sugar (1 cup) and chopped pecans. Gently spread evenly over the preserves and chocolate chips.

Return to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving into bars or squares.