Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
These biscotti are the perfect addition to any holiday spread! Bright green pistachios and deep red cranberries make them festive and delicious. Each one has a satisfying crunch, and goes great with a hot cup of coffee or tea (or hot chocolate).
These worked perfectly for my Christmas cookie boxes this year. They store well at room temperature, and can be baked, and frozen for up to a month! This means that you can bake two batches, and freeze one for later (or for two days before the first batch is devoured).
For many years I never considered making my own biscotti. They were a special Christmas treat we bought pre-made, and honestly, I was a little intimidated. But after making them from scratch I have completely changed my mind, and you will too! These are easy to whip up, and made with only a few pantry staples. This recipe is simple and fun and a great way to get the kids involved. Plus, I find that baking treats yourself, from scratch and with love, yields a much more delicious result!
Ingredients:
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
150 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
128 g all purpose flour
128 g white whole wheat flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup pistachios, shelled, unsalted, roughly chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
*if you don’t have white whole wheat flour, you can substitute with all purpose flour
Step 1: Gather your ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Collect and measure your ingredients, roughly chop the pistachios and allow the eggs to come to room temperature.
This first step, of gathering and measuring your ingredients is common in baking. It’s called mise en place, or everything in place, in French. In baking, we use this time to make sure we have everything we need for the recipe. This is very helpful, you wouldn’t want to discover you’re out of baking powder halfway through the recipe!
It is also important in this step, to make sure your eggs are room temperature. Having all your ingredients at the same temperature prevents the batter from splitting. If you get your eggs out now, they’ll have time to reach that point before you start.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes.
These biscotti are made with the traditional creaming method, common in baking. In this method, the butter and sugar are whipped together until they become much lighter in color and texture. This process aerates the dough, allowing for tender cakes, chewy cookies, and in this case, crunchy biscotti. 5 minutes may seem like a lot, but don’t be tempted to skimp on the creaming. You’ll know the process is completed when the mixture has increased in volume, and gone from butter yellow to pale yellow.
Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients
Scrape down the bottom, sides, and paddle of the stand mixer. Add vanilla extract and eggs, and mix until well combined.
Most baking recipes call for you to mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. This is because in most baking we are trying to avoid gluten development. Gluten is the compound in flour that gives bread its chew, after its been kneaded. But no one wants a chewy cake! To avoid gluten development, we have to be careful not to overmix the dough, and combining wet and dry ingredients helps with this. Luckily, this step in the recipe will prevent chewy biscotti, and make for delicious crispy treats.
Step 4: Whisk the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt, until evenly distributed.
When I first started baking, i was often tempted to skip this step, and just throw everything in the bowl. It’s all going in the mixer anyway, right? Unfortunately, this is not the case. It is important to whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly, to make sure everything is well incorporated. You wouldn’t want to come across a dry clump of baking powder, or a salty patch in your finished biscotti!
Step 5: Mix the dough
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix on low until just combined, and no dry patches of flour remain.
I learned an important lesson when I first started baking. Whenever you add flour, powdered sugar, or really any dry ingredients, to a stand mixer ALWAYS mix on low speed. Otherwise, you will end up with a cloud of flour on your mixer, counter, and clothes, everywhere except the biscotti.
Step 6: Add the cranberries and pistachios
Scrape down the sides, bottom, and paddle of the mixer. Add the cranberries and pistachios and mix on low until evenly distributed.
Many recipes will call for you to mix add-ins in with a rubber spatula. However, I found this dough to be quiet thick and sticky, in short, very hard to work with. Instead, mix in the cranberries and pistachios with the mixer on low speed. If you stopped mixing on time in the last step, there shouldn’t be much danger of overmixing.
Step 7: Shape the dough
Divide the dough in half. Shape one half into a log, about 8 in long. Transfer log onto one side of the baking sheet and gently press it until it’s 3/4 in thick. Repeat with the other half. Sprinkle with course sugar for an extra crunch.
While the size of the logs is approximate, any major changes will affect the bake time. If your logs are too thick, they’ll need longer to bake, to avoid an underbaked center. Conversely,if the biscotti is too thin, you risk burning them. Luckily, this dough is pretty forgiving, it should be easy to avoid any negative outcomes. Use your judgement, and adjust the bake time as needed.
Step 8: Bake the biscotti
Bake the biscotti until lightly brown, 12-16 minutes. The outsides should be crispy, and the centers should bounce back after being lightly pressed. Allow to cool on baking tray for 30 minutes.
Again, the size of your logs will impact the bake time. But another factor may change the bake time. Every oven is different, some run hot, some cold. Others have hotspots, mine has one in the left back corner. It is important to learn about this, so you can achieve perfectly baked biscotti. I suggest purchasing an oven thermometer, this is a simple way to learn about your oven’s quirks!
Step 9: Slice the biscotti
Using a sharp knife, cut the cooled biscotti into 1 in slices. Cut straight down, instead of sawing. Place the biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet.
It is important to wait for the biscotti to cool before you slice them, otherwise they will fall apart. After they have been out of the oven for 30 minutes you can finally cut them into the perfect biscotti shaped slices. Use a sharp knife for this, as it will be easier to cut through any pistachios that get in your way. To avoid crumbling, press straight down on the knife, instead of sawing. Only one more trip to the oven before biscotti perfection!
Step 10: Crisp the biscotti
Return the biscotti to the oven and bake for 12-16 minutes. Edges will be crispy, the centers will crisp up as the biscotti cool. Allow to cool to room temperature. Store in an air tight container, or freeze for up to one month.
You may be tempted to overbake the biscotti. However, it is important to remember that the centers will crisp up as they cool. You want a crunchy biscotti, not a burnt one!
And there you go! Beautiful, festive treats to enjoy with coffee, tea, or maybe just a second biscotti. If you have any questions or comments about me, or the recipe, please comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.If you make these beautiful biscotti, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me, I love to see your creations!
Ingredients
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
150 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
128 g all purpose flour
128 g white whole wheat flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup pistachios, shelled, unsalted, roughly chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 350 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gather and measure your ingredients. Roughly chop the pistachios.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add Vanilla extract, and eggs and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk both flours, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low until just combined.
Split the dough in half. Form each half into a log about 8 in long, and 3/4 in thick, and place on baking sheet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow biscotti to cool for 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut the biscotti into 1 in slices.
Place biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 minutes, or until edges are crispy. Allow biscotti to cool to room temperature. Store in an air tight container, or freeze for up to one month.
I hope y’all enjoyed making (and eating) these as much as I did! These are fun and easy to make, and they’re perfect for parties, potlucks, and chilly afternoons. Until next time, Merry Christmas, happy baking, and enjoy your delicious biscotti!
