Now that Halloween is over, it seems like overnight the holiday promotions have started. All of a sudden, the malls are decorated with Christmas and Hannukah decorations and the holiday spirit is starting to emerge! Ho ho ho! With the baking season upon us, I thought I would feature some of Marcy Goldman’s awesome baking tips and one of her recipes to get you started. She is heading out to Toronto for a media tour next week!  

Marcy is the author of The New Best of Betterbaking.com and A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking. She is also the woman behind the awesome website www.betterbaking.com and is a wealth of baking information.

Here are some baking tips that was featured in the Metro News this week:

-To ensure even results, double baking sheets - insert one directly on top of the other. Also put a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet underneath to ensure a neat and clean bakery operation.

-Always use the finest ingredients and baking tools you can find. Procure the best salt-free butter, chocolate, vanilla, a simply great baking sheet and professional parchment paper.

I am also featuring Marcy’s recipe for Soft Cherry Biscotti, from The New Best of BetterBaking.com, the perfect holiday gift for the baker in your life!

Soft Cherry Biscotti

Makes about 18 large biscotti

Biscotti
1 (19-ounce) jar or can sour pitted cherries
1/2 cup cherry liqueur (such as Cerisette or Kirsch)
1 cup dried sour cherries, plumped and finely chopped
3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 cup milk
3 1/2–4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/8 teaspoon salt

Topping (optional)
1 cup reserved cherry juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch

The night before, drain the sour cherries, reserving the juice separately, and put them back in the jar they came in. Pour the cherry liqueur over them and let them stand overnight. Plump the dried cherries, chop finely, and add them to the marinating cherries.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stack 2 baking sheets together and line the top one with parchment paper.

Drain the cherries, reserving both cherries and liqueur.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and smooth. Blend in the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and almond extracts, and milk, and blend well, scraping the bottom of the bowl occasionally to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Fold in the dry ingredients and blend well to make a soft batter. Fold in the cherries by hand.

Spread out the dough (it will be sticky, so use a wet metal spatula or wet hands) to a length of about 12 inches or so long and 4 or 5 inches wide. Place on the doubled baking sheets and bake until lightly golden on top and browned around the edges, 42 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Line a third baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the biscotti into lengths 1 inch wide and place them on the prepared baking sheets, separating them slightly. Place the doubled sheets on the bottom shelf of the oven and the single sheet on the middle shelf, and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven.

While the biscotti are cooling, bring 3/4 cup of the reserved cherry juice to a boil. Meanwhile, in a separate measuring cup, stir the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cherry juice together. Add the cornstarch mixture to the hot cherry juice and whisk to blend. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the topping thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the stove and cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle or spread on the cookies. Or, if preferred, save the sauce to dip the biscotti in, and simply dust the biscotti with confectioners’ sugar.