recipe | Kept and Keeping

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Book Review, Christian life, Church Life, faith, recipe, Thought Sampler

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Welcome to the Thought Sampler! These posts are where I share a few edifying, fun, inspiring, or otherwise thought-provoking morsels from my own writing or life and from around the web.

UPDATE: I recently had an article republished in Eternal Perspective Ministries Magazine, a free publication from Christian author Randy Alcorn. It was a privilege to be a part of this magazine and to share some thoughts on keeping the faith in my article: “Processing the Past with Grace.” You can read it in the online version of the Spring/Summer 2025 Issue. Be sure to read the whole magazine–it’s good stuff. You can also subscribe to the EPM Magazine and get future print issues delivered to your door for free.

PRACTICAL THEOLOGY: Here’s a thought-provoking article from my friend, Tabitha Alloway over at The Writer in the Willows: You Can’t Love If You Don’t Hate.

RECIPE: Two friends brought Gluten Free Oreos to events in the past week, sending me home with the leftovers. I have such thoughtful friends. 🙂 But I definitely don’t need to eat all of the Oreos myself! So I just put a batch of this deliciousness in the oven to take to Youth and Families (adapted for a tart pan so that these soon-to-be Oreo Cheesecake bars will kind of resemble an Oreo cheesecake pie). [Edited to Add: This was a big hit! Yum!]

QUOTE on CHURHC LIFE: From a book I recently finished, Gospel-Shaped Womanhood by Sarah Rice.

“Look for the person sitting alone next Sunday morning, and go say hello. Send the text. Take the meal. Open your home and table often. Serve in the nursery. Start the ministry where you see a void. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Commit to your local fellowship, and don’t church hop at the first sign of trouble. Family life in the local church will never be easy or totally fulfilling this side of eternity. But the imperfections don’t change the beautiful reality God has established or make it any less glorious. You were once far off, but Christ has brought you near to God and his people! Joy will come as you participate in that reality.”

REVIEW: I recently wrote a review of Hinds Feet on High Places over at GoodReads. This Christian classic is an encouraging read, but there are some things about it that discerning Christians ought to consider…

How about you? Found anything worth chewing on lately that you’d like to share?

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Baked Gifts, Baking, Biscotti, cookies, dessert, recipe, Recipes

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Is your cup of tea or coffee feeling lonely lately? Here’s a recipe for you! This versatile homemade biscotti recipe can be made with whatever fruit and nuts you have on hand–you can even make it gluten free and/or dairy free!

biscotti homemade recipe tea cup — Biscotti is a twice-baked tea cookie that pairs well with tea, coffee, and cocoa!

I learned to make biscotti from my sister-in-law Abigail. As a homeschooled teenager, she and a friend started a catering business, providing tea and goodies for tea parties and other ladies’ events–and biscotti was a standard offering. She later passed this beloved recipe on to me, and it has become a family favorite, especially around the holidays.

Here’s what you’ll need.

EQUIPMENT:

Mixing bowls (this set has served me well for years)
Measuring cups and spoons
Sheet pan (I used this one by USA Pan)
Good spoon (check out these cute spoons by my SIL Lydia!)
Good, serrated knife for slicing (I used one of my hand-me-down steak knives–good knives are made to last! And mine are going on 30 years!)

INGREDIENTS:

Butter and flour for greasing and dusting your pan (use coconut oil or butter substitute for dairy free; use gluten free flour for gluten free)
2 1/4 cup flour (can be all purpose, whole wheat, or GF: I used Premium Gold Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
(1/4 cup milk or water, if needed to form dough–use water or dairy free milk for dairy free option)
1 1/4 cup nuts, chopped
3/4 cup dried fruit (like raisins, cranberries, currants, etc)

PREP:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and grease and flour a large baking sheet. Parchment paper is not recommended for this recipe.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients.
Add wet ingredients all at once to dry ingredients, stirring with a spoon (or hands) to combine. Dough will be thick and firm. If too dry to come together, add 1/4 cup milk (or water for dairy free option).
Add nuts and fruit. Stir or knead into dough until thoroughly mixed.
Divide dough in half and spread each half onto prepared baking sheet, forming two flat loaves 13″ long by 2 1/2″ wide, 3-4″ apart.
Wet fingers and press and smooth the tops and sides.

homemade biscotti recipe tea cookie gluten free — Here’s what those loaves look like. The one on the right is still bumpy, just like I initially formed it and placed it on the pan. The one on the left has been smoothed with wet fingers. Now you know what you’re going for! When both loaves are smooth, you’re ready to bake!

FIRST BAKING:

Bake for 40 minutes at 300 degrees or until firm. Cool 5 minutes.
Turn oven down to 275 degrees.
Slice loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Stand 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet.

biscotti recipe basic versatile homemade — Here’s what it looks like once you’ve sliced the loaves into pieces and arranged them for the second baking.

SECOND BAKING:

Bake sliced loaves at 275 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Check for doneness by pressing slightly on the top of a large slice–the slice should be firm/dry enough not to give under light pressure. Let cool and enjoy!

biscotti homemade recipe how to — If the biscotti feels dry and doesn’t squish under light pressure, it’s done!

The picture above is from a batch of Double Chocolate Chip Biscotti (recipe coming soon!). It’s a great variation on this recipe, especially for gifting at Christmas!

Basic Biscotti

Servings: about 4 dozen
Prep Time: 20 mins plus 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 mins plus 25 min
Difficulty: moderate
Print

A delightful, crunchy cookie to pair with coffee, tea, or cocoa.

Credit: My SIL Abigail Scott

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup flour (can be all purpose, whole wheat, or GF: I use Premium Gold Gluten Free)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
(1/4 cup milk or water, if needed to form dough)
1 1/4 cup nuts, chopped
3/4 cup dried fruit (like raisins, cranberries, currants, etc)

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and grease and flour a large baking sheet. Parchment paper is not recommended for this recipe.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients.
Add wet ingredients all at once to dry ingredients, stirring with a spoon (or hands) to combine. Dough will be thick and firm. If too dry to come together, add 1/4 cup milk (or water for dairy free option).
Add nuts and fruit. Stir or knead into dough until thoroughly mixed.
Divide dough in half and spread each half onto prepared baking sheet, forming two flat loaves 13″ long by 2 1/2″ wide, 3-4″ apart.
Wet fingers and press and smooth the tops and sides.

FIRST BAKING:

Bake for 40 minutes at 300 degrees or until firm. Cool 5 minutes.
Turn oven down to 275 degrees.
Slice loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Stand 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet.

SECOND BAKING:

Bake sliced loaves at 275 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Check for doneness by pressing slightly on the top of a large slice–the slice should be firm/dry enough not to give under light pressure. Let cool and enjoy!

Storage or gifting: Cool completely before storing in an air tight container or wrapping up as a gift.

Feel free to get creative with different fruit and nut combinations in this recipe! But if you want to try some of my family’s favorites, check out Double Chocolate Chip Biscotti and Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti (both coming soon!)! Both recipes have gluten free and dairy free options!

Did you try to make this biscotti recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out!