We are having cool weather, so baking is happening here, especially as mid- and upper-80s are predicted for midweek.
On Sunday, I baked an 8 x 8-inch pumpkin snacking cake, a recipe that I found five or six years ago and bake frequently in the autumn. It calls for toffee pieces, but I had none. I decided to replace the toffee pieces with 2 Tbs. mini-chocolate chips and 2 Tbs. chopped hazelnuts. I sprinkled the tops with a mixture of orange, yellow, and a few chocolate sprinkles. We will have it for dessert the next few evenings.
I also baked Lime Pecan Biscotti, using the first two limes that my husband harvested off the tree he gave me nearly twenty years ago. That tree has been a baking inspiration. The limes had great zest, but their skin was thicker than usual, and I only got a scant quarter cup of juice, to which I added a bit of water, as I did not want to do another lime. We are fond of this recipe that I created, so there are limes on the tree for baking it again. I used avocado rather than canola oil this time, and the dough seemed easier to handle. I hope to send some of a future batch to one of my sisters, and she prefers not to use canola oil, as she dislikes how it is processed. However, after reading in The Washington Post that a university research project found that most avocado oil sold in Walmart, Aldi's, Target, etc. is actually NOT pure avocado oil, and that, unless it is marked "Extra Virgin," it is subjected to more extensive processing, I am not sure I am getting all the health benefits avocado oil should give.
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