My daughter, L, working hard.
The garland progresses.
It's nearly there.
The finished garland, wrapped on cardboard to keep it from tangling.
My daughter, L, had a terrific idea the other day...
...for using up some of the trimmed-off bits from my pillow covers.
She threaded the thin felt strips using a heavy-duty needle and upholstery thread...
...then tied knots before and after each color, leaving areas of bare thread in between.
I think it's a rather
magical Christmas tree garland...
...and I'm really glad she thought of it!
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In case you're in need of an easy, last-minute cookie recipe...
...here's one of my favorites from a long-ago
Gourmet magazine.
Orange Almond Biscotti2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon orange zest; freshly grated
1 and 1/2 cup whole almonds; toasted lightly & chopped coarsely
----EGG WASH----
1 large egg; beaten with 1 teaspoon water
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the flour, the sugar, the baking soda and the salt until the mixture is combined well.
In a small bowl whisk together the whole eggs, the yolk, the vanilla and the zest, and add this mixture to the flour mixture, beating until a dough is formed.
Stir in the almonds.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead it several times and halve it.
Working on a large buttered and floured baking sheet, with floured hands form each piece of dough into a flattish log 12 inches long and 2 inches wide.
Arrange the logs at least 3 inches apart on the sheet and brush them with the egg wash.
Bake the logs in the middle of a preheated 300 F oven for 50 minutes and then cool them on a baking rack for 10 minutes.
On a cutting board, cut the logs crosswise on the diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices.
Arrange the biscotti, cut sides down, on the baking sheet and bake them in the 300 F oven for 15 minutes more on each side.
Transfer the biscotti to racks to cool and store them in airtight containers.
For a festive touch, drizzle them with melted dark chocolate.
