Going feral alone in the apartment

Matt was up in the mountains this weekend with a bunch of college friends. Luckily, the snow up there is finally beginning to shape up, so they had a great time. Despite going to bed at 9 most nights for lack of entertainment, I had a good weekend too. We had prospective student visit day in our department, which involved lots of cool people and even more good food. I finally came up with a research idea that doesn't suck. I went for long runs in the beautiful weather. Still, by the time Sunday morning came around and I had finished cleaning the kitchen scrubbing the stove burner pans, and doing the laundry, I was going a little nuts. Thus the baking spree. I asked Matt if he wanted muffins in addition to biscotti and chocolate cookies and I think he thought I was loony.

Also, I've been baking really good bread from my sourdough starter (no yeast added!), but have thus far failed to document it, so hopefully I will post on that soon. Mmmm bread. Mmm chocolate (I also made Dorie Greenspan's amazing World Peace cookies, which have become my go-to cookie recipe)

This weekend up the canyon in the crazy hippie/hick town (Nederland) they had a festival celebrating this frozen dead guys whose family is waiting for cryo technology to progress to a stage where they will see their icy grandpa again. Frozen dead guy days involves coffin races, frozen salmon toss, jumping into freezing water, bluegrass, and general mayhem. Not really my thing, but we went up for the coffin races Saturday. It was mildy entertaining, and there were so many cute dogs!

I've made this biscotti recipe before and have since become entirely enamored of it. I sent some to my friends, to my family, to my labmates, to Matt's friends. I think it's enchanted me by the fact that it can be so deliciously addicting without any butter. Not that I'm against butter. Just amazed that cookies can be good without it.


Orange-Almond Biscotti
adapted from Cooking for Engineers

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• zest and juice of one orange
• 1 cup whole roasted almonds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda

1. Whisk together the sugar, eggs, and zest until light yellow and fluffy.
2. Stir in juice, almonds, and extracts
3. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined
4. Shape into a log (about 3/4 inches thick) on a baking sheet lined with parchment/silpat
5. Bake for 40 minutes at 350F
6. Cool until you can handle it, and slice into 1/2 inch slices. Return pieces to baking sheet sliced-side down and bake for another 8 minutes.
   
7. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy with your favorite hot beverage. Or just alone.