If you have never made biscotti but often order them at coffee shops, you will be pleasantly surprised how easy they are to make at home.
Biscotti means “twice cooked,” and the name does not lie. First, you shape the dough into logs and bake until firm. Let the logs cool for about 10 minutes, and then thickly slice to make indvidual cookies.Return the cookies to the oven and bake a little longer until they’re crisp and dry.
This double-baking give the biscotti a pleasing crunch, and I have to say, I fall for the crunch every time.
I love little cookies, so these biscotti are smaller than what you might find at the coffee shop. If you want larger ones, slice the logs at a sharp angle instead of straight across. You will end up with fewer cookies, but they will be large enough to suit your fancy.
Tart red cranberries contrast in both color and taste with pretty green pistachios, which have a buttery, rich flavor. Both are also a nice compliment to the dark chocolate. Each bite has a smattering of every flavor.
I love to eat these with coffee or tea (dunking optional), bring them to a friend for dessert with ice cream, or just sneak a few from the tin to munch on to satisfy four o’clock cravings.
Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Biscotti Recipe
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 50 minutes
- Yield: About 5 dozen small biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- 1/2 cup (47.5 grams) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 3/4 cup shelled pistachios
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2 Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the orange zest, cranberries and pistachios until combined.
3 Whisk together the eggs and vanilla, in a separate bowl.
4 Make the dough: Add the eggs to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until blended. Use your hands as necessary to bring the dough together, mixing until no more dry flour remains.
5 Shape the dough: On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and divide it in half. Shape each half into a log roughly 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Place the logs about 4 inches apart on one of the baking sheets.
6 Bake the biscotti logs: Bake the logs for 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. When done, the logs should be risen and slightly firm. (They will still be a little soft in the center and that’s ok.)
7 Cool the logs for 10 minutes: Slide the logs, still on the parchment, onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. The logs should still be warm and a little soft. Do not let the logs cool for longer or they become to crisp and brittle to slice neatly.
8 Slice the logs into biscotti: Transfer the logs to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut the logs into slices roughly 1/2-inch thick – cut at a right angle for small biscotti or at a sharp angle for larger biscotti.
Transfer the biscotti to the baking sheets. Arrange the cookies close together, but without touching.
9 Bake the cookies: Bake for 8 minutes. Turn the slices over and continue baking for 5 to 6 minutes longer, or until the biscotti are firm and dry. Cool on a wire rack.
The finished biscotti will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container, but I doubt you will have them around that long. The baked cookies will also freeze well for up to 3 months.
