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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!
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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, 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:
To make this biscotti, you need to start by making the dough. Once the dough is prepared, you must divide it and shape it into logs.
Place the logs on a baking sheet, keeping them well spaced apart. Bake the logs for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time for even cooking.
Remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly before slicing the logs on the diagonal. Lay them flat on the baking sheet and bake them a second time. Flipping the biscotti over halfway through the baking time will ensure that both sides are evenly golden.
How to Store:
Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. 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. Enjoy!
More Cookie Recipes
If you make this recipe let me know how it went for you in the comment section below. I'd love to know if you made any variations to the recipe and how it worked out. And if you take a picture, share it with me on Instagram by tagging #sweetandsavourypursuits, I love to see your photos!
Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti
Ingredients
- 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 teaspoons 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
- 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.
Nutrition
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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Cindy says
My favourite combination!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks Cindy!
Myrna says
Your biscotti looks delicious and your pictures are beautiful! Wish I had one now...
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you Myrna! Will make you a batch 🙂
cookingwithauntjuju.com says
My family loves biscotti and I have a number of different versions and now I have a "Holiday One". Thanks for bringing these to FF #46 🙂
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
That's one of the things I love about biscotti, there are so many combinations of dried fruit and nuts that you can try.
skd says
This looks so adorably delish Fida 🙂
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you so much!
Christiane says
I told myself I would only have one of these biscotti, but then went back for another one! I couldn't help myself. They are Delicious!!!!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you Christiane, I'm glad you like them. I like them very much as well. At the rate that I'm eating them I'll have to bake another batch before Christmas!
Eleanore Brickell says
beautiful! and nice set up!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you Eleanore! Had lots of fun with it.
Sarah @ Young Foodie says
Looks beautiful and such a great combo of classic Christmas flavours! Will definitely give this a try 🙂
http://fromayoungfoodie.wordpress.com
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you so much! Let me know how you like them.
lapetitecasserole says
OMG! They look absolutely perfect! Pistachios and cranberries together must be an amazing mix! Thanks for sharing this great recipes with us!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks and it's my pleasure!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
It's a ritual in my house to have a batch of biscotti home-made for Christmas. This year, i definitely will be trying your delicious and festive pistachio and cranberry version.. thanks for the idea!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
That's great Thalia! I hope you'll enjoys these, so far everyone who has tasted them has loved them 🙂
Julie is HostessAtHeart says
These sound just amazing! I love the idea of pistachio and cranberry together!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks Julie, they're very good!
Serena @ foodfulife says
This is a beautiful recipe, thank you for sharing!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks Serena, my pleasure!
mydearbakes says
Fantastic! Thumbs up for this bake! =D
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks so much!
nancyc says
This biscotti sounds wonderful! It looks festive with the cranberries and pistachios in it!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks so much Nancy. Yes, I love the red and green colours.