RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

From Diana Cosby, Virginia, USA HAZELNUT BISCOTTI 12 ounces (2 1/2 cups) whole shelled hazelnuts 1 3/4 cup sugar 4 cups flour 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, optional 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 eggs 3 Tablespoons hazelnut or almond liqueur 1/2 teaspoon almond extract if using almonds 2 Tablespoons melted butter Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place half of the hazelnuts and all of the sugar in a blender or food processor and process until the nuts are finely chopped. Place in a bowl. Coarsely chop the rest of the nuts and add to bowl along with the dry ingredients. In another bowl, blend the eggs, liqueur and butter. Stir into the dry ingredients and knead gently with your hands until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and on buttered cookie sheets, form into two 14" long rolls that are about 3" wide and 1" thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes and remove cookie sheets from the oven. Cool 10 minutes. Cut with a serrated knife into 1/2" slices and return the slices to the baking sheet, setting them upright and spacing them well apart. Lower the oven to 300 degrees and bake another 20 minutes until crisp and dry, but not brown on the bottom. Cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 30 Variations: Ginger - half the amount of nuts and add 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1/3 cup minced candied ginger and 1 1/2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger, omit the hazelnut liqueur and add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Orange - add 3 Tablespoons grated orange zest and use orange liqueur instead of hazelnut. Coffee - Using the hazelnut or almond recipe, add 3 Tablespoons instant coffee granules. Apricot - Using the hazelnut or almond recipe, add 2 teaspoons ground cardamon or cinnamon; half the amount of nuts and add 1 cup chopped dried apricots and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Chocolate - increase the cocoa to 1/2 cup, increase liqueur to 1/4 cup, decrease nuts by 1/3 and add 1 cup chopped white chocolate, 1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Anise - omit the cocoa, add 1 1/2 Tablespoons crushed anise seeds and use 2 Tablespoons anise liqueur or brandy for the liqueur. Add 2 Tablespoons orange zest and orange liqueur with the anise seeds, if you like.

Hey y'all from Lowndes Middle School in Valdosta, Georgia,USA. We are 6th grade students and our school mascot is the VIKING! Here is one of our favorite recipes: Macaroni and cheese eight different ways. Pick your favorite and enjoy! YANKEE DOODLE DANDY MACARONI AND CHEESE 1 to 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, rigatoni or spinach egg noodles(about 6 oz.) 1/4 cup margarine or butter 1 small onion, chopped(about 1/4 cup) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cups milk 8 oz. process sharp American or Swiss cheese, process American cheese loaf or process cheese spread cheese loaf, cut into 1/2-inch cubes Cook macaroni. Stir margarine, onion, salt, and pepper over medium heat until onion is slightly tender. Blend in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute; remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Place macaroni in ungreased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Stir cheese sauce into macaroni. Cook uncovered in 375 degree oven 30 minutes. 5 servings Garden Mac and Cheese: Stir one package(10oz.) frozen green peas or green beans into cheese sauce. Ham Mac and Cheese: Stir one cup cut-up fully cooked smoked ham into cheese sauce. Hot Dog Mac and Cheese: Stir one cup sliced frankfurters (about 3) or cut-up luncheon meat into cheese sauce. Olive Mac and Cheese: Stir 1/4 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives into cheese sauce. Pepper Mac and Cheese: Stir 1/3 cup chopped green and/or red peppers or one can (4oz.) green chiles, drained and chopped, into cheese sauce. Tomato Mac and Cheese: Stir 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives into macaroni in casserole. Arrange one large tomato, cut into 5 slices around edge of casserole before cooking. Tuna Mac and Cheese: Stir 1 can (6 1/2 oz.) tuna, drained, into cheese sauce. Experiment and come up with your own special variety of Yankee Doodle Dandy Macaroni and Cheese. "A smiling face is half the meal." a Latvian Proverb

Greetings from Miz Giacomazzi's 5th Grade class in North Pole, Alaska. We are sending you a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Blend together: 1 cup of butter or margarine 3/4 cup of white sugar 3/4 cup of brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp almond extract Beat until thoroughly mixed together Add: 1 tsp baking soda 2 1/4 cups of flour 2 cups of chocolate pieces (also you can add chopped nuts or raisins) Mix all of this together. Put on a baking sheet with teaspoons Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes Enjoy!!!

This is a popular snack in the US. Kids can help make it- or even do it all themselves, as it requires no cooking. Adults might even want to help eating it! ANTS ON A LOG Celery Cream Cheese Raisins Carefully cut celery into 10cm sections (I have modified this recipe to the metric system). Fill the groove with cream cheese. Put a line of raisins along the cream cheese. Eat and enjoy! For a little variety, use peanut butter instead of cream cheese. Robert Easton, Bancroft School, Worcester.