It seems that with every Blogger’s Dozen post, I’m saying that “this month I’ve decided to do something different.” Perhaps it’s  because I’m constantly trying to think and act outside of the proverbial box, or because I try not to be a creature of habit. It could also be due to the fact that this is only the eleventh post and eleventh month of this series, and is therefore still seemingly new and open to experimentation. Or perhaps I just think too much and am making a mountain out of a little (foodie) molehill! Yes, most likely it is the latter.

Most of you are aware of my adoration for Instagram. I’ve said more than once that it is one social media outlet that I cannot live without. Consequently, this month’s guest blogger is one of my favourite people and artists that I follow on IG. Sara is mostly known in the media world as the girl behind @me_and_orla. With over 45,000 followers, it goes without saying that many people, including myself, find her photographs elegant, inspiring, and so very majestic. Additionally, it turns out that she also has an equally beautiful WordPress blog that can be found here. 

For those of you who have Instagram and WordPress, you must become a follower of Sara. In the meantime, here is her delicious Walnut & Maple Biscotti recipe. Her spectacular photographs aside, this is sure to be the most delicious treat.

Have an amazing weekend!

<3

Emory

P.S. If you want more from Sara, and to learn about her own views regarding Instagram, you may hear her radio interview here. She explains the community and process of taking and posting photographs in the most eloquent way. It’s well worth the listen. :-)))

Walnut & Maple Biscotti:

10 tbsp salted butter, melted
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp good quality vanilla essence
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 large eggs, lightly whisked
3.5 cups plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder (or just use self-raising flour)
1.5 cup chopped walnuts 
1/2 cup ground almonds

For the glaze: 

2 tbsp maple syrup
1-2 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

Steps:

1. Mix the eggs, melted butter, syrup and essence & sugar together in a large bowl until well combined.

2. Stir in the ground almonds, flour and baking powder. If the mix still feels wet and sticky, slowly add more flour until you have a soft dough. Finally stir in the walnuts.

3. With floured hands, divide into two and shape into two ciabatta-shaped loaves – long and quite flat. Place each one on a sheet of parchment on a baking tray. Bake loaves at 250c for 20-30 minutes. It’s important that they are solid, but a bit soft in the middle is fine.

4. Allow to cool thoroughly – about half an hour. Slice into 1 cm thick slices with a good serrated bread knife. If you’re feeling fancy you can cut them on the diagonal.

5. Turn the oven down to about 100c. Spread the slices out across the wire oven shelf (or on a cooling rack above a solid shelf). This is an important as it allows the air to circulate and dry the biscuits on both sides, giving them their finished crunch.

6. Bake for as long as you can bear it. An hour is good. They’re done when they feel hard & dry to the touch.

7. Allow to cool. Mix together the remaining syrup with icing sugar until you reach your desired consistency. I like mine slightly stiff to minimize the run-off. Drizzle over cooled biscuits and allow to set before packing away. (These seem to keep fine in the open or in the fridge, but I prefer to use a tin just in case.)

8. All done. Dip in your coffee for breakfast or a mid-afternoon pick me up. Crumble over espresso & vanilla ice cream for a quick & fancy dessert. Slip one into your loved one’s lunch to let them know how sweet you are. Enjoy!

I’m bringing biscotti back. Maybe it never actually went away, but it’s definitely under-appreciated by coffee drinkers and afternoon snackers across the western world. Handing out a test batch to my family last week, I recoiled horror to see them chomping on them dry. Can we all just agree right now that if you bake these, you have to dunk them, in whatever hot beverage you prefer. It’s non-negotiable.

This recipe is based on my tried-and-tested perfect biscotti recipe, but here I’ve given them a seasonal twist for autumn. I’m usually a purist, but this variation is subtle and classic, and the icing is kind of a game changer …

Sara

A Blogger’s Dozen is a series that was launched in 2014. If you would like to be featured in a post, as well as have free advertisement for that month, please contact Emory at helloscarlettblog@outlook.com. Be sure to send any food-related ideas that you may have. Hello, awesomeness!