Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

The only trick to making these delicious classic Italian cookies is to ensure they are completely crispy. You do this by baking them twice. Biscotti in Italian literally means “twice” (Bis) “cooked” (cotti). Biscotti are good for breakfast dunked in coffee or also excellent dunked in your favorite digestif or sweet wine. I like to make these Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti’s at Christmas, but they are good all year long. They make a nice gift any time of the year.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream 1 stick of butter with 3/4 cup white sugar. Add 1 tsp. of lemon zest, 1 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla paste and salt. I like to use Vanilla paste as it has a richer, more vanilla-y flavor. Beat in two eggs, one at a time.

Roughly chop the pistachio nuts.

In a separate bowl, whisk the baking powder into the flour. Add to the creamed butter and sugar in thirds until just blended. Stir in 3/4 cup pistachios and 3/4 cup dried cranberries.

Using your hands divide the dough in half and place on the baking sheet. Form into two logs about 1 1/4 inches high by 15 inches long.

The dough will be quite sticky, but again use your hands to smooth out as best you can. Don’t worry if your edges are not perfect. The dough spreads as the cookies bake so make sure you have at least 3 inches between the 2 logs.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 15 to 20 minutes until cool enough to handle. Transfer to a cutting board and cut the Biscotti’s using a serrated knife into 1 inch thick slices. If you cut them before they are cooled, the cookies may crumble. (That’s the way…)

Reduce oven temp to 300 degrees. Place the slices lying flat back onto the baking sheet and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes. Half way through the second baking, flip them over so both sides get nice and crunchy. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Cool completely and store in an airtight jar. I made these for my neighbors this year and also my good friends Bonnie Ungerecht and Joyce Prim. For Joyce I made the most traditional of Biscotti’s-Almond.

Same recipe, but substitute almond extract for the vanilla and add 3/4 cup slivered almonds instead of the pistachio and cranberries.

This is my last blog before Christmas and I want to wish you all a

very happy holiday filled with the love of family and friends…

…and of course, good food!

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Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti

Crispy, classic Italian cookie. Not too sweet and perfect dipped in a cup of coffee or your favorite after-dinner drink!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
• 3/4 cup Sugar, white granulated
• 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted, softened at room temp That's one stick.
• 1 tsp. Lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 2 Eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. Vanilla paste or vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Pistachio nuts, roasted/salted and roughly chopped
• 3/4 cup Dried, sweetened cranberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter. Add the sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and salt. Mix until very creamy and well combined.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg is added.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds. Beat until just blended.
• Stir in the pistachio nuts and cranberries.
• Form the dough into two logs approximately 1 1/4 inches high x 15 inches long. The dough will be quite sticky.
• Bake the logs for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• Reduce oven temp to 300 degrees. Remove from the oven and cool for about 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Place the log on a cutting board and using a serrated knife cut into inch one inch thick slices.
• Place the slices flat side down and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes until firm and golden brown. Half way through the second bake, flip the cookies so both sides get crispy.
• Cool completely on a rack. Store in an airtight jar.