Thursday, February 24, 2011

Frugal Food Thursday: Jelly Bean Biscotti

Welcome to Frugal Food Thursday!  If you have a great frugal recipe, please link up below! 

Last Sunday, I was able to get free jelly beans at CVS. (They cost 99¢, but I received 99¢ in Extra Care Bucks for buying them.) I love getting free stuff at CVS!

After the high of getting something for free wore off, I had the problem of what to do with the jelly beans. We still have Halloween candy in the house, so the thought of just leaving them for the kids to eat didn't seem right.

Meanwhile, I started thinking about what I'd be putting in the school lunches this week. I usually make some sort of homemade cookies or other treat, like my Chocolate Chip Blondies or Snickerdoodles.  But I wanted to try something new.

So I thought maybe I could solve both problems at once.  A little Googling later and - voila - Jelly Bean Biscotti!

I based my recipe on one I found at Food.com.  I used fewer jelly beans (since I had only the one package), and didn't add powdered sugar to the final recipe - it certainly seemed sweet enough!

You could make this for any holiday: red and green jelly beans for Christmas; red for Valentine's Day; orange and black for Halloween.  I'd use brightly colored jelly beans - the yellow and pink ones seemed to lose their color after being baked.  But the kids thought they were very yummy, and I was happy to get the free jelly beans out of the house!

JELLY BEAN BISCOTTI

4 tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 9-ounce package jelly beans
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly.  Add vanilla and stir.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients the butter-sugar mix a little at a time until all the dry ingredients are moistened and a soft dough is formed.  Stir in the jelly beans.

Flour a flat surface, like a cutting board.  Using a spatula, remove the dough from the bowl and place on the floured surface.  Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour.  Cut the dough in half.  Roll each half into the shape of a baguette.  Place the two dough rolls on a greased cookie sheet, and flatten the rolls with your palm to make two loaves.

Using a pastry brush, coat the surface of the rolls with the beaten egg.  Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until the outside of the loaves is golden brown.

Allow the loaves to cool on the cookie sheet for about 15 minutes.  Then remove them and place on a flat surface.  Slice each loaf diagonally into eight slices.  Put them back on the cookie sheet, cut side up, and bake at 375 degrees for another 10 minutes, or until the edges of the slices are turning brown.

Transfer slices to a wire rack to cool.  Makes 16 biscotti.

There are lots more cheap recipes posted here at Frugal FolliesClick here for the list!

Got a great frugal recipe?  Link below to your actual post, not your main page.  Please only link up recipes and other food-related posts; contest entries and other posts are not allowed and will be deleted. I'd appreciate it if you would link back to Frugal Food Thursday as well!



For more great recipes, please visit the bloggers listed on the left sidebar under Food Linkups. There are lots of great recipes on each blog and I'm sure you'll find some new favorites!

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32 comments:

Andrea (Andreas Kitchen) February 23, 2011 at 10:38 PM  

How fun, I'm first! I am sharing my recipe for Chicken Cacciatore. It makes a wonderful warming meal in all of this cold weather that everyone is having!
Thanks for hosting!

J Rodney February 24, 2011 at 8:53 AM  

That is a very interesting recipe. I had to throw in the jellybeans to get my free Purex, but I could not figure out what to do with them either:)

Pat @ Elegantly, Gluten-Free February 24, 2011 at 11:20 AM  

Here is my easy to make snack or appetizer, Redskin 'Skins with Olive Oil and Garlic Salt. They are very frugal, not to mention healthy -- but don't tell the family about the 'healthy,' they won't notice! My husband likes Ranch Dip with them, but they're also good with hummus or dill sauce.

By the Bluegrass February 24, 2011 at 1:04 PM  

I like your jelly bean biscotti What a cool, tasty idea! I linked up. Thanks for hosting.
xo,
Sena

Easy To Be Gluten Free February 24, 2011 at 1:44 PM  

I got the free jelly beans too. I don't even like jelly beans but I can't pass up a freebie! Gave them to DH to take to work. Sounds like you came up with a more creative use for them.

Miz Helen February 24, 2011 at 8:15 PM  

What fun...Jelly Bean Biscotti, this looks like a great recipe. I will have to try this for Easter Tea. Thank you so much for bringing your fun Biscotti to Full Plate Thursday and please come back!

Allison @ Alli 'n Son February 24, 2011 at 10:51 PM  

What a fun idea! Love the jelly bean colors in the biscotti.

I'd love to have you share this recipe with Sweet Tooth Friday! http://alli-n-son.com/2011/02/24/cream-cheese-brownies/

Ann Kroeker February 24, 2011 at 11:26 PM  

How fun! Love how creative you are, and glad to have you link to Food on Fridays.

riz February 25, 2011 at 3:43 AM  

wow, looks delicious.

will hang out here when i do have frugal recipes to share...

Spendwisemom February 25, 2011 at 10:04 AM  

This sounds really interesting. I have made banana chocolate chip Biscotti, but have not been this creative. Good job using what you got for free.

raniaclare February 25, 2011 at 10:26 AM  

too bad, i hadn't had time to write the procedure...next time i wont forget so i could put linky in here:)

whatchamacallit February 25, 2011 at 10:28 AM  

glad to see you again here. i wrote the last two comments before me (from my other sites ^_^)

i will join here next friday:)

a moderate life February 25, 2011 at 7:34 PM  

Hi! Linking up a recipe for whole wheat hamburger buns that is frugal and easy because I used a mixer for the kneading. All the best, Alex

Mama Kelly aka Jia February 25, 2011 at 8:21 PM  

I would never have thought to use jelly beans in biscotti. But these look so pretty it seems a shame to not at least try it.

LifeBelowZero February 25, 2011 at 8:24 PM  

Hello! I am a new follower from Full Plate Thursday.
Thanks for Frugal Food Thursday!
Freebies Mom
http://casinofreebies3.blogspot.com/

Cheerful February 26, 2011 at 10:32 AM  

sounds great new idea...thanks for sharing your recipe! have a great weekend! :)

Katherine March 1, 2011 at 11:17 AM  

I love all of the great deals at CVS! Very clever idea, using the jelly beans. It is sort of like the jellied fruits used for fruit cake but I am sure this is way better! Thanks for linking up!

Unknown March 1, 2011 at 12:58 PM  

what a clever use of jelly beans! i am still shaking my head in awe of the fact that you still have halloween candy in the house. i am a candy gobbler! thank you for sharing this fun and ready for easter recipe with tuesday night supper club

PERMANENT POSIES March 1, 2011 at 10:24 PM  

Are you kidding? What an imagination you have...a delicious imagination! I bet kids would love this too. I have never made biscotti before.

The Wise Alternative 918-836-0565 March 2, 2011 at 6:31 PM  

Looks and sounds delicious! Although I'm not sure if there would be any left for the kids when I got done....

Thanks for sharing at the hearth and soul hop.

HaleyLeann March 3, 2011 at 1:30 PM  

What a fun idea! Maybe something good for Easter too. Thanks for linking up on Recipes I Can't Wait to Try! Be sure and come back sometime this week to enter my giveaway!

Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust December 13, 2011 at 10:52 PM  

Woo hoo for free stuff! I love your creative use of the jelly beans, my daughter would love that. I'll have to remember that trick. :) Thanks for sharing on Crazy Sweet Tuesday!

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