📋 Jewelled Holiday Biscotti recipe (with cranberry and pistachio)
This festive looking Holiday Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti cookie is the ultimate Christmas Biscotti recipe, makes a great edible gift, and is perfect for sharing at a holiday cookie exchange. They are also Weight Watchers friendly!
Servings 48 servings
Calories 74kcal
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon anise seed
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ¾ cup pistachios (shelled and unsalted)
- ½ cup dried apricots finely chopped
Garnish: Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Heads up: There is a 2 hour chilling time before baking and up to an hour cooling time between bakes.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds,¼ cup unsalted butter
- Then add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined.1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Beat in the 3 eggs, vanilla, and almond extract until combined.3 eggs, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a large spoon.2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- Stir until fully incorporated
- Stir the anise, fennel seed, cranberries, pistachios and apricots into the mixture.1 ½ teaspoon anise seed, ½ teaspoon fennel seed, 1 cup dried cranberries, ¾ cup pistachios (shelled and unsalted), ½ cup dried apricots
- Stir with a wooden spoon until blended.*If dough is wet and sticky, add a little more flour until it feels like cookie dough
- Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide dough in half.
- Shape each half into a 12 inch log about 1 ½ inches thick.Place logs 3 inches apart on the lightly greased large jelly pan or 2 separate baking sheets.Flatten each log to a ¾ -1 inch thick loaf.
- Combine the 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush egg mixture over loaves.1 egg, 1 tablespoon water
- Brush loaves with egg wash (you'll only need about half of it).
- Bake in preheated oven for 25- 30 minutes or until light brown.
- Allow loaves to cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving to cooling rack.
- Cool for 50 minutes on a cooling rack.
2nd Bake:
- When the loaves are cool, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Transfer loaves to a cutting board. Cut each loaf diagonally in approximately ½ inch thick slices
- Lay slices, cut sides down on cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned on bottom.
- Turn slices over and bake 5 -10 minutes more or until biscotti are dry and crisp.
- Move to wire rack until completely cooled.
Notes
Expert Recipe Tips:
Chill the dough before shaping. This firms it up, reduces stickiness, and helps the logs keep their shape while baking.
Use a serrated knife for slicing. A bread knife gives cleaner cuts and helps prevent crumbling. Let the logs cool slightly before slicing. Allow up to an hour cooling — slicing when they’re too hot or too cold can cause breakage.
Slice evenly. Cutting all slices the same thickness ensures they crisp up at the same rate. Don’t skip the second bake. This is what gives biscotti their signature crisp texture; bake just until lightly golden and dry, not rock-hard.
Flip the biscotti halfway through. Turning them over during the second bake helps them crisp evenly on both sides. Check your oven temperature. Ovens run hot or cold, so using an oven thermometer can help you avoid under- or over-baking.
Use parchment or a silicone mat. This prevents sticking and makes transferring the logs easier. Hydrate your cranberries if they’re very dry. A quick 5-minute soak in warm water (then pat dry) keeps the texture of the biscotti more uniform.
Use unsalted pistachios or reduce added salt. Salted nuts can make the biscotti overly salty. Avoid over-mixing the dough. Mix just until combined; overworking can make the biscotti tough.
Shape logs evenly. Keeping both logs the same size ensures even baking and browning. Let biscotti cool fully before storing. This keeps them crisp and prevents moisture buildup in the container.
Re-crisp before serving if needed. If they soften over time, pop them back into a low oven for a few minutes to refresh. Storage
Use a serrated knife for slicing. A bread knife gives cleaner cuts and helps prevent crumbling. Let the logs cool slightly before slicing. Allow up to an hour cooling — slicing when they’re too hot or too cold can cause breakage.
Slice evenly. Cutting all slices the same thickness ensures they crisp up at the same rate. Don’t skip the second bake. This is what gives biscotti their signature crisp texture; bake just until lightly golden and dry, not rock-hard.
Flip the biscotti halfway through. Turning them over during the second bake helps them crisp evenly on both sides. Check your oven temperature. Ovens run hot or cold, so using an oven thermometer can help you avoid under- or over-baking.
Use parchment or a silicone mat. This prevents sticking and makes transferring the logs easier. Hydrate your cranberries if they’re very dry. A quick 5-minute soak in warm water (then pat dry) keeps the texture of the biscotti more uniform.
Use unsalted pistachios or reduce added salt. Salted nuts can make the biscotti overly salty. Avoid over-mixing the dough. Mix just until combined; overworking can make the biscotti tough.
Shape logs evenly. Keeping both logs the same size ensures even baking and browning. Let biscotti cool fully before storing. This keeps them crisp and prevents moisture buildup in the container.
Re-crisp before serving if needed. If they soften over time, pop them back into a low oven for a few minutes to refresh. Storage
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- This biscotti can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days.Â
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- This recipe freezes well (in an airtight container) for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 103IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
