Ossi di Morto (Bones of the Dead)

In honor of All Souls Day, here is an interesting recipe for Bones of the Dead cookies.  It comes from the The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion Cookbook, but for the sake of convenience, I’ve reproduced it below.  They are tasty cookies with a slightly crunchy exterior and light, cakelike interior.

Ossi di Morto (Bones of the Dead)

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup almond flour*

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Beat in the wet ingredients to make a smooth, soft dough.

Transfer the dough to a heavily floured work surface and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope about 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter, and 16" long.

Cut each rope into 4" pieces.  Working with one piece at a time, pinch the center, giving it a slender "waist" about 1/2" thick. Plump the ends into knobs so the whole thing resembles a bone.

Transfer the "bones" to the prepared baking sheets and refrigerate overnight, uncovered.

The next day, remove the cookies from the refrigerator. Allow them to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Towards the end of the rest, preheat the oven to 300°F.

Bake the cookies for 15 to 25 minutes. Bake less time for a cookie that's lightly crunchy on the outside and chewy within, and longer for a hard, crunchy cookie.

Remove the cookies from the oven, cool, and roll the cookies confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

*To make almond flour, whir almonds in a high-speed blender (such as a Ninja) or run them through a Vitamix.  Do NOT use a food processor or you'll have almond butter.

This post is linked to:

 Show and Tell Friday
 Seasonal Sundays

Angel Biscuits

I read a lot of Southern literature from the Anne George Southern Sisters mysteries, to Fannie Flagg's humorous narratives, to Michael Lee West's fiction and memoirs, to Martha Hall Foose's charming cookbooks.  It seems that, in any type of southern writing, there is often the mention of Angel Biscuits.  I'd not heard of Angel Biscuits until I started reading these books, but the mouth-watering descriptions of sweet tea and biscuits with fresh jam served in a relaxing porch atmosphere with a view of the bayou finally got to me and I had to try them.

The addition of yeast in the dough is what makes this biscuit recipe different and lighter than most.  Picture a yeast roll in biscuit clothing and you'll get the idea.  Unique in both taste and texture, they are suitable for use as both a breakfast biscuit or a dinner roll.  An added plus is that they must be made ahead. I love that in a recipe, don't you?  The one I tried is from King Arthur Flour -- a fabulous catalog company the likes of which has often been known to make bakers weak at the knees.  You can find it on their website with loads of informative step-by-step pictures here, or use the directions (sans photos) that I've written out below.

Angel Biscuits
Recipe from King Arthur Flour

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pats
1 cup room-temperature milk
2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing on top

Whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the shortening, mixing till evenly crumbly. Add the butter, mixing till roughly combined. Pea-sized bits of butter can remain. Add the milk, mixing till just combined. The dough will be quite wet.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface, and quickly and gently pat it into a 7" diameter, 1"-thick circle. Use a 2" round biscuit cutter to cut 16 biscuits. Place them close together on a lightly floured or parchment-lined tray or baking sheet. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or the cover of your choice, and allow the biscuits to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. After an hour, cover the biscuits with plastic wrap, and place the pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Overnight is fine. Alternatively, biscuits can be frozen up to 2 months.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the biscuits form the freezer, remove the plastic, and space them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 16 to 18 minutes, till they're golden brown. Remove from the oven, and brush with melted butter, if desired.

Yield: 16 biscuits.

This post is linked to:
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Foodie Friday @ Little Brick Ranch
Food on Friday
Friday Favorites
Friday Fat Camp