Fat Fridays...

 Normally this is my cue to complain how quickly the week has flown by, how subsequently unprepared I am and then, as with the last two weeks, try desperately to turn some mediocre recipe into something vaguely readable or, at worst, just link to some others on the internet.

This week however, having waved goodbye to uni for a few weeks, I've been having to talk myself into not posting this one early, for fear that it would upset Fat Friday [yes, it has become a living entity now] when its slot became empty as a result.

So basically, I've been baking like a mad-lady and then sitting on my hands [and stuffing my face with said goods] in order to stop myself from posting it before Friday. Well fellow sweet-toothed readers, it will be worth the wait. Behold, peanut butter pecan biscotti...

INGREDIENTS

Yet another joy adapted from, well...Joy. That woman is a baking queen I tell you - these turned out perfectly, albeit a little too perfect in making me want to gobble the lot. Just follow the steps below and voila, heaven on a plate. Or in your belly.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3 // 325°F // 170°C and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the salt and baking powder.

In a separate bowl cream the sugar, peanut butter and regular butter together until fluffy

I'm never entirely sure what this is meant to mean...fluffy to me is bunny rabbits and cotton wool, not butter and sugar, but hey - just beat it together til pale and smooth.

Now it's time to separate your eggs. You need one whole egg, plus an extra yolk, but it's worth saving the white for brushing the dough with later. Confused? ...

...sorted. That's one and a half eggs on the left and half an egg on the right. Simples.

Beat the egg [the one with two yolks] and mix into the creamed butters and sugar until you have something that looks like this...

Hmmm...attractive. Don't worry though, if it looks like a cross between baby food and fudge, you're on the right track.

Now just add the dry ingredients to the wet mix gradually, stirring as you go.

 When it's all mixed together, it should form a dry but shapeable dough. Now just add the pecans and mix them in with your hands.

And now it's baking time! Divide the dough into two, shape into rectangular sausages [geometry never was my strong point] and place one on each baking tray.

Remember that extra egg white? Just beat it [...beat it] with a splash of milk and brush onto the nutty loaves - you can sprinkle sugar on too if you like.

Into the oven they go for around 15 minutes, then swap shelves and bake for a further 20 mins.

When they come out they should look deliciously golden, and the smell, man that smell is good. But alas, it's all a tease as they need to be sliced up and re-baked.

Cut into slices about an inch thick and place cut-side down on the baking tray. 

According to the original recipe, they should only need another 10 minutes in the oven tops, but mine needed more like 15, perhaps a little longer for those on the bottom shelf.

When they are golden and slightly crispy on top, bring them out of the oven and allow to cool...if you can wait.

And there you have it, sugar topped, nut-filled biscotti slices. I can't help thinking how great these would taste spread with nutella. And when I say spread I mean an undignified dunk straight into the jar. I'm such a lady.

They might turn out a little skewiff, lumpy and bumpy in parts, but don't worry, their uneven shape could make for some interesting developments...

A French-speaking, peanut-flavoured moustache biscuit?

Why, don't mind if I do.