I didn’t do as much baking for the holidays as I would have liked. Being almost in my third trimester of my pregnancy certainly held me back but thankfully my mom shared a lot of her goodies so we definitely didn’t go without. I did make my husband’s favorite, my soft raisin cookies and I decided to try something new, biscotti. I’ve been a big fan of biscotti for many years. Nothing tastes better than a fresh slice of biscotti dunked in my hot flavored coffee. Yum! And it was long overdue for me to actually make them myself.
This recipe was much easier than I imagined and the taste made them certainly worth the effort! My husband fell in love and begged me to take some to work with him for his coworkers. I obliged of course. Keep in mind the recipe was altered to suit my tastes and what I had available in my cupboard. The base is great so feel free to experiment as well.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
2/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
Optional topping:
1 tablespoon milk or egg white
1/8 cup sugar
Directions
Cream butter and sugar with mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in extracts.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add gradually to creamed butter mixture. Mix well. (Keep in mind dough will be very sticky).
Stir in remaining ingredients (cranberries, almonds and orange peel). Chill for 30 minutes.
Divide dough in two parts. Using a floured surface, shape each half into a loaf approximately 2 inches in diameter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. (I highly recommend using a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper).
Optional:
Brush milk onto tops of loaves and sprinkle with sugar if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until a light golden brown.
Cool loaves for 5 minutes. Cut into 3/4-in. thick slices diagonally.
Place slices, cut side down, on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for an additional 9-10 minutes.
Turn slices over and bake 10 minutes more or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack before storing in an airtight container.
This recipe is altered from a Holiday Biscotti recipe on allrecipes.com.
Paula @ Frosted Fingers says
Looks yummy!
SimplyBakes says
These look simply divine! Great colours, good job!
-Simply Bakes