Cranberry & Pistachio Biscotti

Biscotti and a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, or a nice mug of tea … one of life’s great pleasures. Biscotti is relatively easy to make and the flavor combinations are endless! If you’ve never had biscotti, you are in for a treat – these traditionally Italian biscuits are twice-baked, crunchy and drier that a cookie — also with far less fat since they contain no butter or oil. (And yes, these are gluten-free!) Best of all, these crispy delights will last for weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. These are perfect for breakfast, snacks or dessert; they also make great gifts! Divertirsi! (~Enjoy)

Preheat your oven to 330 F. I always recommend using an oven thermometer to check the temperature and this is especially useful with baking. Line a rectangular sheet tray with parchment and lightly spray with coconut (or other) cooking oil. Set aside.

Prepare your flavoring of pistachio, cranberry and lemon. I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale – They are super affordable ($10) and they make baking a breeze by allowing you to measure by weight rather than by multiple measuring cups. (This is the one I use, available on Amazon.) Using your scale, place a bowl on top and reset to zero grams. Pour in your cranberries until the weight measures 125 grams. Reset again to zero (leave your bowl and cranberries in place), and add pistachios until the weight is 220 grams. Remove your cranberries and pistachios to a large cutting board and roughly chop — some pieces can remain whole. Place back into your bowl and grate the zest of one lemon on top. Set aside.

Combine your flour, caster sugar and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Use the same scale method described above to weigh out your flour and sugar. If you haven’t used caster sugar before, it’s just super fine sugar. Caster sugar is specially formulated for baking because it dissolves quickly (it’s also great for iced beverages or sprinkled over fruit!). If you can’t find caster sugar at your local grocer, you can find it only here. It’s important to note that while you can replace cane sugar in recipes with caster, you shouldn’t replace caster with cane. If you can’t get your hands on some or don’t have the time, you can grind cane sugar in a food processor or coffee grinder to achieve a finer texture.

Next, whisk 3 eggs in a large measuring cup. You want to add the eggs slowly to the flour mixture, with mixing speed on low until dough just comes together; you may have to use your hands to full form the dough. Note: You probably will not use all 3 eggs. I usually have a little leftover. It’s important to not add too much liquid, as this will make the dough harder to handle.

Once your dough is at the desired consistency, add in your flavorings (cranberry, pistachio, lemon zest) and mix on slow until just combined. Generously flour a large cutting board and turn your dough out onto it — your dough will be sticky and this is a bit of a messy process. Don’t worry, it will come together in the oven. Kneed a few times until fully combined and then divide into two portions (I use the scale again to measure mine). Form each portion into a log about 10 inches long. Use more flour for dusting as necessary. Pick up each log and place onto prepared baking tray.

Bake at 330 F for 30-35 minutes or until just starting to lightly brown; err on the side of longer cook time. Remove from oven and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes so that dough is slightly cooled. Remove logs to cutting board and slice into 1 inch slices using a serrated bread knife or other sharp knife. (If biscotti is overly crumbly and falling apart, either the dough is not cooked enough or not cooled sufficiently.) Cut straight down rather than with a sawing motion to help reduce impact.

Arrange your slices back on a parchment lined sheet tray, cut side down (side of the biscotti). Place back into the oven for 12 minutes. Remove, and flip over. Bake 12-15 additional minutes until dry and cooked through. Cool on wire rack, and then store in an airtight container for up to a month.