Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

Looking for a festive biscotti recipe for the holiday season? Let this simple Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti flavoured with orange zest be the one you make!

This Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti recipe is a holiday family favourite. Not only is it beautifully speckled with green and red making it look festive but it also tastes absolutely delicious.

What makes this recipe a winner is that the biscotti is crunchy without being overly hard. The cookies aren't dry and remain slightly tender in the middle. The orange zest and juice add extra flavour to the biscotti.

What is Biscotti

Biscotti is an Italian cookie that is baked twice, this gives it a crunchy texture and makes it excellent for dunking into coffee or tea. Biscotti are made using a variety of dried fruit and nuts. They are often perfumed with the zest of various citrus and can be coated with melted chocolate.

With so many options available, you could easily adapt a biscotti recipe to suit your tastes and create all sorts of delicious biscotti.

In fact, I adapted this Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti recipe to make both this Hazelnut Chocolate Biscotti and this Apricot and Almond Biscotti with White Chocolate Drizzle.

How to Make it

This biscotti recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen. Their recipe called for dried cherries, but I used dried cranberries instead. I also added orange zest for extra flavour and because it goes so well with pistachios and cranberry.

I doubled the ingredients since I wanted to make enough to give away as presents. If that's too much biscotti for you, simply divide the ingredients in half to make a smaller batch.

Ingredients Overview

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Baking powder and salt
• Dried cranberries. I used sweetened cranberries as the unsweetened ones are too tart.
• Orange zest
• Orange juice. Freshly squeezed is best.
• Unsalted butter
• Eggs 
• Pure vanilla extract
• Shelled unsalted pistachios. Toast the pistachios to enhance their flavour prior to adding them to the biscotti dough.

Steps Overview

1. Position rack in the center of oven and preheat it to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Remove enough zest from one large orange to make 2 teaspoons, set aside.
3. Squeeze the orange to obtain 4 tablespoons of orange juice. In a microwaveable bowl, combine the cranberries with the orange juice and microwave for about 45 seconds. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and orange zest with the remaining cup of sugar for about 3 minutes on medium speed until butter is fluffy.
6. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg.
7. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mix on low to combine and then and add the cranberries and pistachios and mix until the ingredients are incorporated into the batter, do not over beat.
8. Divide the dough into 4 parts.
9. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and using your hands shape the dough into logs. Pat the dough so it’s about two inches wide.
10. Place logs onto lined baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart, you may need to use two baking sheets unless you own a very large sheet.
11. Bake for 14 minutes, rotate the tray and bake for another 14 minutes or until logs are light golden brown and beginning to crack on top.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool on sheet for 10 to 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature.
13. Place one biscotti log at a time onto a cutting board and using a sharp serrated knife, slice the logs on a diagonal into ½ to ¾-inch-thick slices.
14. Return the sliced biscotti, cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until pale golden, flip the biscotti and bake for approximately 7 minutes more. Flipping the biscotti over halfway through the baking time will ensure that both sides are evenly golden.
15. Transfer the biscotti onto a rack and let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Storage Instructions

Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Biscotti may also be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, store biscotti in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper in between layers. Thaw biscotti overnight in the refrigerator.

I hope you find this Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti recipe as delicious as I do. For a softer and chewier Italian cookie, take a look at this recipe for Italian Amaretti Cookies.

Enjoy!

More Cookie Recipes

• Rolled Baklava
• Espresso Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
• Chocolate Walnut Cookies
• Chewy Ginger Cookies

Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti Recipe

Author: Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, Best-Ever Christmas Cookies, 2014.

Looking for a festive biscotti recipe for the holiday season? Let this simple Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti be the one!

4.55 from 20 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Servings 64 Biscotti

Calories 98 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups dried cranberries
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups shelled unsalted pistachios toasted and chopped coarsely

Instructions

 

• With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Remove enough zest from one large orange to make 2 teaspoons, set aside.
• Squeeze the orange to obtain 4 tablespoons of orange juice. In a microwaveable bowl, combine the cranberries with the orange juice and microwave for about 45 seconds. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the butter and orange zest with the remaining cup of sugar for about 3 minutes on medium speed until butter is fluffy.
• Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time beating after each egg.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mix on low to combine and then and add the cranberries and pistachios and mix until the ingredients are incorporated into the batter, do not over beat.
• Divide the dough into 4 parts.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and using your hands shape the dough into logs. Pat the dough so it’s about two inches wide.
• Place logs onto lined baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart, you may need to use two baking sheets unless you own a very large sheet.
• Bake for 14 minutes, rotate the tray and bake for another 14 minutes or until logs are light golden brown and beginning to crack on top.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on sheet for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
• Place one biscotti log at a time onto a cutting board and using a sharp serrated knife, slice the logs on a diagonal into ½ to ¾-inch-thick slices.
• Return the sliced biscotti, cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until pale golden, flip the biscotti and bake for approximately 7 minutes more.
• Transfer the biscotti onto a rack and let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Notes

1. To toast pistachios,  preheat the oven to 350 °F. Spread the shelled unsalted pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast for 4 to 5 minutes, stir pistachios and toast for 2 to 3 minutes more until pistachios are fragrant and lightly browned. It shouldn't take more than 8 minutes to toast the pistachios. 
2. Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
3. Biscotti may also be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, store biscotti in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper in between layers. Thaw biscotti overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 23mgPotassium: 58mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 73IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Biscotti, Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti, Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

Tried this recipe? Have any questions, comments or suggestions? Leave a comment below!Mention @sweetandsavourypursuits or tag #sweetandsavourypursuits!

This recipe for Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti has been updated. It was originally published in December 2014. No changes were made to the recipe.

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