Holiday Biscotti Recipes

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 the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, dust with 1/4 cup flour and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, butter, orange marmalade, orange zest and salt. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and beat until just blended. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
• On the prepared pan, form the dough into a 3-by-13-inch log. (Using a small offset spatula or dusting your hands with flour will help keep the dough from sticking to your hands.) Bake until the log is firm to the touch, cracked on top and looks dry, about 35 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes on the tray.
• Place the log on a cutting board and using a serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the biscotti cut-side down on the tray. Bake until they are a dry and fragrant, an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a cooling rack and cool completely.