Blessed Margaret of Castello - Feast Day April 13th
Patron of the poor, crippled and unwanted.
Little Margaret came from a wealthy noble Italian family and was born in the family castle. When Little Margaret was born, it was found that she was hunchbacked, blind and one leg was much shorter than the other. Her parents kept her deformities a secret but Heaven looks through different eyes. They gave her to a trusted servant with orders to name and baptize the baby. The maid chose the name Margaret for the little child, because it meant “pearl.” Margaret’s parents noticed she like to pray and so had a cell built for her adjoining the church. There were two small windows one for food to be passed through and one to assist at Holy Mass. At the age of six, without explanation Margaret was put in the cell. A mason walled up the doorway as she passed through. Margaret endured terrible loneliness and extreme cold during winter and heat during summer. A local priest discovered in his interactions with Margaret, that she had an incredible mind. He instructed her in the Faith and she grew in knowledge, and because of her suffering she had great wisdom and compassion.
Word spread that cures were taking place in the City of Castello at the tomb of the Franciscan tertiary, Fra Giacomo. Margaret’s parents took her to the tomb and left her there to pray for a cure. When they returned at days end, they realized she had not been cured and so without saying goodbye, they abandoned Margaret there. Margaret waited for her parents to return and became concerned that something may have happened to them. She wandered the streets, without money or friends, asking if anyone had seen her parents. Two beggars befriended her and took her to the inn where her parents had stayed. It was then Margaret realized then that her parents abandoned her on purpose. The poor began to care for Margaret, and nuns invited her to live with them. Unfortunately the nuns had grown lax in the practice of the Faith and were threatened by Margaret knowledge and fervor. They turned on Margaret, driving her out of the convent and spreading rumors about her to justify their actions. God never abandoned little Margaret and her old friends came to her aid. God began working miracles through Margaret and she healed many both during her life and after her death miracles were attributed to her intercession. Her body is incorrupt and kept under glass in the chapel of School for the Blind, in Citta di Castello Italy.
These biscotti are named for Blessed Margaret, because like biscotti, the life God handed her was hard and dry, but because Margaret was open to God’s friendship and grace, instead of becoming bitter, she became sweet. The biscotti have the colors of dark and light, also like Blessed Margaret of Castello’s life. Margaret s a living example that God treasures and uses what the world throws away. Tragically her parents only had worldly eyes, but the eyes of Heaven saw what lay within this precious little, deformed child, who was more whole and beautiful to Heaven than most people who walk the earth.
Copyright Building the Family Cookbook, Suzanne Fowler 2003
For a more detailed description of Blessed Margaret of Castello, please order the Building the Family Cookbook!
Blessed Margaret of Castello Biscotti ~Feast Day April 13th
These biscotti look like they are from a bakery in Blessed Margaret of Castello’s Tuscany Italy! Wonderful with a hot cup of coffee, these biscotti teach a beautiful Saint story & Catholic Faith lesson.
This is an example of the kind of food you may eat, enjoy, lose weight & stay slim eating on Light Weigh One King and Light Weigh!
Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar & orange peel until fluffy.
Add the eggs to the mixture, one at a time, (3 eggs total) beating well after each addition.
Add the vanilla.
In a separate bowl combine 3 cups Non-GMO Flour. Non-GMO Flour feels so different from the regular GMO flour I did not know I was buying! Non-GMO Flour is so much silkier and smoother! No wonder my children with food allergies can eat it!
Add the aluminum free baking powder. Aluminum free is important to protect yourself from *aluminum, which is linked to Alzheimer’s.
Add the ½ t. of Sea Salt.
Now whisk the dry ingredients together.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
Add the almonds.
Stir in the nuts.
At this point the dough will be soft.
Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a log about two inches around.
Place the logs on an ungreased cookie sheet and press down to slightly flatten the logs.
Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and smell the scent of orange! Allow logs to cool for 5 minutes.
Using a spatula, carefully move the logs to a cutting board.
Using a serrated bread knife, slice the log/loaves into 1 inch wide biscotti.
Place the biscotti, cut side down, on the cookie sheet and toast in the 350 degree oven until lightly browned. This takes between 12-15 minutes depending on your oven. I did mine for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and turn them over.
Toast the other side for 12-15 minutes. I did mine for 12 minutes the second time. Remove biscotti to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
When the biscotti have cooled - Prepare the icing. Sift the organic powdered sugar. By using organic powdered sugar, you are not getting the genetically modified cornstarch made from GMO corn. :) My children with food allergies can eat organic powdered sugar and not get sick!
(Do not melt the chocolate chips until the very end of the recipe.)
Add the organic orange juice and organic orange zest to the organic powdered sugar and whisk to combine. Now pour the icing into a teacup to make dipping your biscotti easier. Put some wax paper under your cooling rack to make clean up easier.
Dip half of each biscotti in the icing and place it back on the cooling rack. Allow the icing to set completely before the chocolate step. You may dip them quickly in the teacup because you will have enough icing.
When the icing has fully dried on all the biscotti, melt the chocolate chips. I melted mine in the microwave: 30 seconds – stir. 30 seconds – stir again. 30 seconds – stir & done. Using a butter knife spread the melted chocolate on the other un-iced half of each biscotti. I had to melt about 1/3 c. more chocolate chips for all my biscotti.
Return the chocolate frosted, light and dark biscotti, to the cooling rack and allow them to completely dry for several hours. You may speed this up if you put them in the refrigerator!
Now look at how pretty they are! Before I learned peace with food, I could have never handled having these in a glass cookie/biscotti jar on my counter – but now I am not tempted because of Light Weigh! I have peace with food! Enjoy your biscotti with a cup of hot coffee ~ and remember You are Precious to God!
Blessed Margaret of Castello Biscotti
Oven Temperature: 350 Degrees
Biscotti:
½ c. Organic Butter, softened
¾ c. Pure Cane Sugar
1 T. Organic Orange Peel, large grated
3 Large Eggs, Hormone Free Antibiotic Free
1 T. Pure Vanilla
3 c. Non-GMO Flour
1 T. Aluminum Free Baking Powder
½ t. Sea Salt
¾ c. Blanched Almonds, rough chopped
Icing:
2 c. Organic Powdered Cane Sugar, sifted
1 t. Orange Peel, finely grated
¼ c. Organic Orange Juice
1 c. Chocolate Chips, melted in a separate bowl (you may need 1/3 c. more)
Copyright Building the Family Cookbook, Suzanne Fowler 2003
Note: It is SO important to buy Non-GMO and Organic food! Not buying GMO food is the only way to get the attention of food companies & grocery store chains. GMO food is DESTROYING people’s health – and this is not an exaggeration. GMO food is behind virtually ALL the food allergies causing so much suffering! Wake up and shop smart for yourself & family!
*Getting aluminum out of your diet is very important! Did you know that soy, soybeans and vegetable oil all have high levels of aluminum? Protect your health and try to stop eating and using these ingredients right away. This blog shows you how to cook for full taste & full health!
