Biscotti (delicious twice baked Italian cookies) packed with fresh cranberries, roasted almonds, a hint of orange, and dipped in dark chocolate. A smattering of Christmas sprinkles are fun, but optional.
If you, like me, are a sucker for fruit-nut-chocolate combinations, these biscotti are right up your alley. They are appropriately crunchy (as good biscotti should be) and not overly sweet. I love the chocolate dip that gives a smattering of Christmas sprinkles something to stick to – but, honestly, they are also delightful without it.
You could use dried cranberries in a pinch, but using fresh is nice because the cranberry juice infuses the dough with plenty of cranberry flavor.
What actually is biscotti?
It seems like there are a lot of different kinds of biscotti in the world, some of which are light and airy and get so soggy when you dunk them into a hot cup of coffee that they just fall apart. These are the opposite of that. They're crunchy, firm and perfectly dunkable.
The word "Biscotti" means twice baked. Here in the US, that means forming cookie dough into logs, baking it, slicing it, and then baking it again. And, even though the cookie is considered an Italian confection, in Italy, the word "biscotti" refers to all different kinds of cookies, most of which don't even remotely resemble the biscotti you see here.
I've heard that the super crunchy and dry biscotti that most of us associate with the word are the result of creative efforts to create food that is resistant to mold and would therefore last a long, long time. Like those early cookies, these biscotti will last several weeks... maybe even months. I'm not 100% sure because the longest these have ever lasted in my house is a week and that was only because I made a double batch.
Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please.
These are a welcome addition to any holiday cookie dessert tray, but honestly, my favorite time of day to eat biscotti is at breakfast. There's nothing better on a cold winter morning than a slice or two of cranberry biscotti dipped in a steaming mug of hot coffee.
Used to make this recipe:
- Ghirardelli White Chocolate Powder
- Pure vanilla extract, Almond extract, and Orange extract. OR - any combination that equals 3 teaspoon total.
- Bittersweet Chocolate - at least 60% dark
- Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet (2 Pack)
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer
- Christmas sprinkles
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
- Decorated Brown Butter Citrus Cookies with Chocolate Fondant
- Mini Ginger Snaps with Sorghum and Brown Sugar
- Chocolate Kiss Cookies
- Christmas Funfetti Cookies
- Marshmallow Brownie Crinkle Cookies
- Spritz Wreath Cookies
- Malted White Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Halva Buttercream
- Cherry Almond Rugelach
- Chocolate Mint Brownies
Cranberry Orange Dark Chocolate Biscotti
Biscotti (delicious twice baked Italian cookies) packed with fresh cranberries, roasted almonds, a hint of orange, and dipped in dark chocolate. A smattering of Christmas sprinkles are fun, but optional.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk (save the egg white)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- Almond extract
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- Ghirardelli Ground White Chocolate Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt (1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt)
- 5 oz (1 heaping cup) frozen cranberries
- 1 cup roasted, salted almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoon turbinado or sanding sugar
- bittersweet chocolate
- Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, orange zest and extracts and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, white chocolate powder, baking powder, and salt, and stir with a wire whisk to combine. Add to the mixing bowl and beat on low speed just until incorporated.
- Put the cranberries in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse just until the cranberries are broken up. You'll have some very small pieces and some larger pieces, but should see no whole cranberries.
- Add the chopped cranberries and chopped almonds to the dough and stir to combine.
- Divide the dough in half and use your hands to shape two rectangles of dough on the parchment lined baking sheet that are approximately 12-inches long and 3-inches wide. Brush the tops of the logs with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with the turbinado or sanding sugar.
- Bake the logs for 35 minutes, until the tops of the logs are beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Set the logs on a cutting board and, using a very sharp serrated knife, slice the logs crosswise into ½-inch thick biscotti. Put the biscotti back on the parchment lined baking sheet so that they are standing upright, with the cut sides facing out.
- Bake the biscotti for 25 minutes, until the edges are completely dried out, but the centers are just the slightest bit soft. Remover from the oven and let cool completely.
- Put the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat at 50% power in 30 second intervals until melted, stirring after each 30 second interval. Scoop the chocolate onto a flat surface - a plate or pie plate.
- Dip one flat side of each biscotti into the chocolate, using a spoon, knife, or the edge of the dish to remove excess chocolate. Set the biscotti on a wire rack, chocolate side up, and let sit at room temperature until the the chocolate is set. If you like, sprinkle the chocolate with a few sprinkles before it dries.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
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