Holiday Biscotti Recipe 445

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well (dough will be sticky). Stir in cranberries, pistachios and orange zest. Chill for 30 minutes. , Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, shape each half into a loaf 1-1/2 to 2-in. diameter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. , Cool for 5 minutes. Cut diagonally into 3/4-in. thick slices. Place slices, cut side down, on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Turn slices over. Bake 10 minutes more or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with a light coat of cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, baking soda, salt, eggs and extracts together.
• Add in the almond flour and 2 cups of all purpose flour and mix with a large wooden spoon.
• Begin stirring in the nuts and candied fruit. Sprinkle in the remain 1/4 cup of flour. At this point you will need to put the spoon down and knead by hand. Knead 8 or 9 times until the fruit and nuts are well distributed.
• Divide the dough in half and shape into logs about 9-10 inches long. Be sure that your logs are of an even width from top to bottom. Place on baking sheet several inches apart and lightly flatten the top. (Note the width of the loaves will double in baking.).
• In a small bowl, combine egg and water and blend. Using a pastry brush apply a light egg wash to the tops of each loaf.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on rack for 8-10 minutes.
• Take loaves and slice on diagonal making wedges 1/2 inch thick. Place slices on baking sheet cut sides up and bake for 3-5 minutes. Turn the cookies over and return to the oven and bake an additional 5-8 minutes. Cookies will be dry and crisp to the touch.
• Place on rack and allow to cool completely before storing.
• Note: For holiday trays you can also make smaller biscotti by dividing the dough into 3 loaves. Reduce initial baking time to 25 minutes. Use the lower ranges in the times given for the second baking. In thirds, my loaves were about 4 inches long, longer when cut on the diagonal.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
• Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl.
• Using food processor or electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir in extract. Mix in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in peppermint crunch chips.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. (Dough will feel very sticky). Flour hands before handling dough.
• Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 15-inch log (about 1 1/4 inches wide). Carefully transfer logs to a prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.
• Bake logs until almost firm to touch but still pale, 25-30 minutes Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes.
• Carefully transfer logs to cutting board. Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise diagnally into 1/2 inch thick slices.
• Place slices, cut side down, on prepared cookie sheet. Bake until firm and golden, about 9 minutes. Turn biscotti over and cook approximately another 9 mins or until just turning golden. Transfer biscotti to racks and cool.
• GARNISH: Melt chocolate.( I put the chips in a microwavable bowl and heat for about 1 minute constantly watching. I then stir and if chocolate needs more melting I ad another 30 secs. until chocolate is melted.) (DO NOT OVER COOK or chocolate will become dry and hard and burnt!).
• Dip 1 long side of each biscotti into melted chocolate. Place cookies on wax paper or tin foil and let stand until chocolate is firm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour a baking sheet.
• In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest until blended.
• In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cloves and salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until blended.
• Stir in cranberries and pistachios.
• Divide the dough in half.
• One at a time, place the 2 dough portions on the prepared baking sheet and form each into a log about 1/2 inch high, 1 1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long.
• Space logs at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake the logs for 25-30 minutes or until set and light brown.
• Transfer to a cutting board and let cool 6-8 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Using a very sharp knife, cut the logs in the diagonal into slices 3/8 inch thick.
• Stand the slices upright on the baking sheet and return the sheet to the oven for 15 minutes to dry the cookies thoroughly.
• Transfer to racks to cool.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.