Orange Coconut Cake

    Are you enjoying this wonderful weather?  I know I am here in Atlanta.  It is not too cold, warm and breezy. I love this time of the year.  This time of year calls for a nice and sweet citrus flavor dessert.  I made this wonderful Orange Coconut Cake.

   

Orange Pecan Biscotti

 

     Happy Labor Day!   Are you having a cookout, going to the parade, or shopping?  For me I am enjoying the day home with my family. Even though in a few hours my four day vacation from the corporate world ends, I am enjoying the time at home.  I remembered when I could not wait to get into the corporate field, now I am like its ok.  Now don't get me wrong.  I love and appreciate my job.  But at times, I wish I could work from home part time and still make the salary I have.  I have to drive 45 minutes to work, and I work in the heart of downtown Atlanta.  Right there just tells you the traffic I  have to deal with in the morning to work and the evening going back home.
 
    I work full time as a senior accountant going on eight years for an architecture-engineering firm.  My job is very flexible and my boss trusts me to do what I do without micromanaging me.  I am very blessed to have the job I have and still have the opportunity to grow in the firm.  But if they had a Kenmore oven and stove, with a Kitchen Aid mixer in the cafe, OMG  I would be in heaven.
 
    Ok enough of me, let's get to the biscotti. 

    
    If you are not familiar with biscotti, it's an Italian biscuit.  Biscotti's are long and crunchy that is baked twice, usually used to dip in tea, or coffee.  I would even dip them in hot cocoa.  Why not? 
 
    My kitchen smelled so fragrant with the orange aroma and the candied pecans.  These biscotti's are slightly crisp, sweet with the orange flavor that makes you sigh when you take that first bite.

Orange Pecan Biscotti

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter melted
3 large eggs
1 tbsp. orange extract
1 tbsp. Grand Marnier
1 tbsp. orange zest

Candied Pecans
1 cup chopped pecans
1 large egg white
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg white

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, whisk egg white until it foams into small white bubbles.  Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Whisk until thick and opaque.  Add pecans and toss to coat. Once thoroughly coated spoon onto baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until toasted and golden brown.  Set aside  to cool on a wire rack.

Increase oven heat to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a  medium bowl.  In a separate bowl mix sugar, melted butter, eggs, extract, liqueur and zest in a large bowl.  Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir with wooden spoon until well blended.  Mix in pecan mixture.

Divide dough in half.  Flour hands to prevent sticking to batter and shape each dough into a log.  Transfer log to baking sheet.  Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy.  Brush egg white over the top and sides of each dough log.

Bake logs for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Rotate sheet at fifteen minutes to bake evenly.  Keep oven on at 350 degrees temperature. Cool completely on wire rack for 25 minutes. Remove parchment paper, transfer to work surface.  Using a serrated knife, cut logs diagonal into 1/2 inch wide slices.  Arrange slices, cut side down on bake sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Turn over and bake until color for 8 minutes.  Transfer to rack and cool.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted from Bon Appetit and Joy the Baker