Cranberry and pistachio biscotti
Posted in cookie/ cracker, Featured Articles, Italian, others, Vegetarian, Western
One of the things I look forward to having coffee at Dome Cafe is not its coffee but the biscotti that is served together with it. This little treat compliments the coffee so well! I always wanted to grab hold of a packet to bring home. But, after seeing the price, I decided to give this homemade version a go. That’s when I realized how cheap, healthier and tastier they could be!! Moving forward, I can happily say bye-bye to all the tasteless and expensive biscotti sold at the stores.
Biscotti originates from Italy. It is baked twice; first in log shape and then as individual slices. This method will yield a dry and hard, yet crisp texture for the biscuit which allows them to be kept longer at room temperature.
Some biscotti contain oil, some not. This biscotti recipe I am sharing now is oil and butter free and uses egg as a binding agent. It’s definitely a healthier option compared to the other oil or butter rich baked goods. When mixing the ingredients, don’t be fret if you get a sticky dough. Rest assured that nothing goes wrong. Just dust your hands and the work top with more flours will make the dough more manageable.
Biscotti is as easy-to-make as other cookies. However, it may need slightly more time and extra steps to produce its unique hard, dry and crisp texture. At the first baking, the biscotti log is baked using longer baking time to ensure it is well risen and firm but not hard. Then it is left to cool down so that it can be easily cut into thin and neat slices with the use of a serrated knife. The purpose of the second baking is to dry up the biscotti until it becomes crunchy but not overly browned. Both baking sessions are done under low baking temperature.
The biscotti is so full of flavour. Cranberry lends some natural sweetness and moisture to it. I love the combination of cranberry and pistachio as the pairing of red and green creates a cheerful and festive look for the biscotti. I think it makes a perfect gift for all occasions especially this coming Father’s Day.
Earlier on, I had tried an all-nuts combination with pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts, but i still prefer a mix of nuts and dried fruits. The latter is more moist and tastier. However, feel free to use any combination of your choice. If your child is not ready for nuts or is allergic to them, then you can opt for 100% dried fruits for this recipe. Whether dunking into hot beverage or eating it alone, this biscotti is definitely going to be my family’s favourite year round snack.
For a note, this biscotti may not be suitable for young toddlers. For older toddlers, dunk it into their milk or hot drink to soften it.
>> Get the recipe and step by step photo for Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti at PAGE 2 BELOW.
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53 Comments
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Thanks for sharing this. I will definitely give it a try! :))
Dee: Looking forward to your feedback. 😉
these would be so great as christmas gifts because of the red and greens! love how nicely and neatly cut these are!
Janine: Yes, I totally agree. But they are too good to keep until Christmas. 🙂
These biscotti look super!
Angie: Thanks!! 😉
looks better than Dome’s 😉
Noobcook: Haha! Thanks for your sweet words! 😉
I’m so going to make this! Loved the green and red combi 😀 Pistachios? I’m sold 🙂
Ling: Hurry! Grab your pistachios and cranberries now. You’ll never regret. 😉
Yummy! I love this combination!
LCOM: Thanks!! Glad you like it! 😉
OMG… I love everything about these pictures. Stunning, gorgeous, beautiful…words can’t express, really!!! I want to pin but Pinterest is not working. Absolutely look delicious and I only wish that I don’t have fear of baking and courage to try making these… Fantastic job on this post!
Nami: Thanks so much with your super nice words. I’m so flattered! 😉
Damn attractive and irresistible biscottis,they came out super beautiful.
Priya: Thanks for your nice compliment! 😉
Lovely colours! I’ve always been too afraid to try to make biscotti – looks complicated. But I’m encouraged by your post! There’s hope for me yet.
Wokandspoon: I can fully understand your situation. That’s why I take so long to try it out. Do give it a try. 😉
Biscotti are so much fun to make and even more fun to eat! This is such a classic and delicious flavor combo!
Joanne: Well said! Thanks! 😉
I loves coffee and biscotti. Beautiful pictures!
Evelyn: Thanks!! That’s also my hubby and I enjoy biscotti. 🙂
Love biscotti, never made it myself. Pictures are stunning!
Lee Mei (MCH): Thanks so much for your compliment! 😉
My 1st attempt is cooking in the oven right now(2nd baking). The slicing of the log was quite challenging. Broke a few slices as a result, but those baby baking in the oven look really good… Thanks for sharing!
Lynn: It’s my pleasure to share! 😉
Just flipped the biscotti and regretting cutting them too thick…(my husband was telling me to cut them thicker since they were so fragile). They looked not dried enough with the stated time. So for the flipped side, I decided to bake them them 3 mins longer… Hopefully they turn out good. Fingers crossed
Lynn: You must wait for the cooked biscotti to cool down first before slicing them. I had baked them a few times lately and managed to cut them thinly. I guess practice makes perfect!
Thanks for the encouragement… by the way, are the pistachios supposed to be cooked or raw? For some reason, the after results of the pistachios in the sliced biscotti looked rather “tanned”, guess it is over cooked. Also, your biscotti looked rather fine and smooth on the surface, but mine looked rather rough. Are biscotti supposed to be crispy? Mine were rather soft…
Lynn: You need to lightly roast any nuts you use (including pistachios) before making the biscotti. Don’t worry, I also have tanned pistachios in my biscotti. I can’t comment on the surface unless you can send me a photo. Yes, the biscotti should be crispy. If yours are soft, just put them into the oven and bake them again at 150 degree for another 3-5 minutes. The baking time depends on the thickness of your sliced biscotti. 🙂
Thanks forth advice:>
Lynn: You are always welcome! 😉
May I know how to prepare the orange zest?
Soh: You can use a grater to do the job. Grate the outer layer of the skin. Avoid grating the white part. 😉
Thanks. Will try doing the biscotti later. Looking forward!
I tried twice and couldn’t get the golden brown colour (despite lengthening baking time) and the crispiness. Would you know what went wrong? I’m using a microwave oven function. Could this be a cause?
I wish to try out the salmon potato and almond crisps which also involve baking subsequently.
Thanks for advice.
Soh: I’m not sure too. I think as long as it is the oven function, there shouldn’t be any problem. Is it the first time you use this microwave oven? Maybe you can cut the biscotti thinner. Hope it helps! 🙂
Soh: Great! Looking forward for your feedback! 😉
Hi GoodFood 4tots, I really enjoy reading reading your blog. Awesome!!
Juliet: Thank you for your lovely comment! 🙂
I followed the recipe and they came out great, except for the color of the pistachios. Yours look so green, mine are all light brown.
I was not happy about the quality of the pistachios that I bought (Trader Joe’s) but that is all they had and I was anxious to try the recipe. Where do you get yours from? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Nikki: Thank you for sharing your feedback! I bought mine from Publika, a local supermarket in Kuala Lumpur. Maybe you can check it out from any local baking supply stores. 🙂
Tried but the dough was 2 sticky dough to handle. Coated hand with flour but the stickiness deterred it from rolling nor moulding into log. Did I miss out anything?
Liv: Yes, it is a bit sticky. Don’t knead the dough too much. Roll it lightly. Did you flour the working surface as well? Another trick is to wrap the dough in clip wrap and chill for about 1 hour. 🙂
Hello!
can I use baking soda in place of baking powder?
Thanks
Abby Laks: Sorry, I’m not sure as I haven’t tried it before. I would suggest you to follow the recipe closely if you want to yield the best results. 🙂
[…] original recipe came from Food 4 Tots. First of all, the combinations are just brilliant. First, you have the colorful dried cranberry, […]
hi.. Just wanted to check if I wanna bake an eggless version of these amazing biscotti’s what can I replace the egg with? Thanks
Divya: Sorry, I have tried an eggless version biscotti. Maybe you can search via google. 🙂
It looks delicious? but Can I use brown flour instead of all purpose flour?
Thans
Elhendy: Sorry, I haven’t tried brown flour before. 🙂
Would u have an eggless version to share? Second: I tried this and it seems dough is too wet. Can I increase the flour?
Ping: I’m sorry that I don’t have an eggless version for sharing. There is no need to increase the flour. Things you need to take note are: do not mix or knead the dough too much. Sprinkle some flour on the counter top before you transfer the dough over; then sprinkle some flour on the dough and start shaping. Again, roll and shape your dough as light and as quickly as possible. Remember to have your hands dust with flour too. From time to time, you can still sprinkle some flour if needed. Hope it helps! Happy New Year! 🙂