Christmas Biscotti

This is the first truly new recipe in my Christmas baking line-up.  I found the recipe several months ago back at one of my regular blogs: Sweet Peas and Pumpkins.

I had never made biscotti before, nor did I recall my mom ever having done so, but the combination of pistachios and cranberries sounded too good to pass up!

Recipe:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pistachios (roasted and unsalted - if you use salted pistachios, you may choose to omit the 1/4 teaspoon salt)

(Apparently you can buy these babies pre-shelled.  Who knew?  Not me, so I spent some time de-shelling.  Thank goodness I hadn't gotten my nails done.  That would have been a catastrophe.)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Mixing by hand, combine the oils and sugars, then add the egg and vanilla until well blended.

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add to wet mixture.

Last, add pistachios and cranberries.

(Diva Note: At this point, we literally had to mix with hands in order to get everything fully combined.  And it was very sticky.  If my mom hadn't been here, there would be no pictures from this point on...)


On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or Silpat liner, shape the dough into a log that is about 10 inches long by 4 inches wide.

Bake for 30-33 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly, 1-2 minutes.  Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/4-1 inch slices by pressing firmly (do not try to saw).

Reduce oven to 275 degrees.  Turn biscotti on sides and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown.

Verdict:
So good!  Sweet, slightly salty, and a hint of citrus from the cranberries.  And isn't sweet and salty the greatest taste combination ever?  And you know, they even look Christmasy without being quite the typical red and green combination - like red and green all grown and classed up!

Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea... So I guess this is another sweet I'll be able to justify eating for breakfast on the 26th...

My only tip: you may as well mix up two batches of dough while you're at it.  One log only makes about 10 biscotti, and that won't last long when you have to share!