Wednesday 11 December 2013

Cranberry Pistachio and Chocolate Candy Cane Biscotti

I am finding it hard to make time to bake this year - I don't know, the Christmas season seems to be flying by - so last night I set out to start my holiday baking, just in time for holiday gift giving.

I know I lectured about the proper name for this type of cookie a week or so ago, but just to keep things simple, let's call these biscotti.  


Using the recipe below but dividing the dough in roughly half, I added a half cup of chopped pistachios and a half cup of chopped dried cranberries to one half of the dough.  Enough "half"s in that sentence for you? 

The other half I rolled out into the prescribed log plain jane style.  Bake (twice) as per the directions and allow cookies to cool. Melt 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl over simmering water on the stove, or in the microwave.  Dip the cookie in the chocolate, then sprinkle chopped candy cane on top of the melted chocolate.  Place on waxed paper to set.


Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pistachios
1 cup chopped dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine flour with baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Cream butter with sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then add vanilla.
Stir in flour mixture until combined. Stir in pistachios and cranberries.
Gather dough together in a large ball and divide in half. Shape each half into a 2-in.-wide and 3/4-in.-high log. Place logs 3 in. apart as they will spread.
Bake in centre of oven until tops are almost firm but still golden, 30 to 35 min. Remove from oven and let stand until loaves are cool enough to touch, about 10 min. Cut each diagonally into 1/2-in. slices. Place a rack on baking sheet. Arrange sliced biscotti on rack, cut-side down. Continue baking until very firm and golden brown, about 20 more min.
Store in an airtight container up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.

Recipe slightly adapted from Chatelaine.




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