Almond, White Chocolate and Cranberry Biscotti

What is it about snow that makes you instantly want to turn on the oven and start baking in some sort of end of the world frenzy? Which, by the way turned out to be a load of codswallop since here I am posting on the 22nd of December!

Back to the snow, so yes, we had a nice little snow storm earlier this week. For some reason snow=baking and not just any old baking; decadent, dangerous, delicious, dessert- like baking. You want the smells of brown sugar and vanilla, mixed in with creamy butter floating through your house as the snow flakes swirl around outside your kitchen window; giddy from the heavenly aroma. I had all that going on with these wonderful biscotti.

A few months back I had finally made a batch of biscotti for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to make and particularly loved them because there was no rolling out required. I no longer buy biscotti because I can make every kind we enjoy and my husband loves them. He particularly enjoyed these ones I made and ate like 7 at one sitting! They were mini ones but still.

I was a little apprehensive about using the dried cranberries because I typically, don’t like raisins or dried fruit in my biscuits or cookies. However, they worked very well with the white chocolate and now, I really like that combination. There is a recipe for panettone I’ve been meaning to try but it contains white chocolate and cranberries and I was holding off making it, unsure about the taste. Not anymore.

These are great; nice and crispy and easily eaten by themselves or dunked in a cappuccino or espresso. They are also fairly fat free using no butter and only 2 eggs.

 

 

Almond, White Chocolate and Cranberry Biscotti

 

 

13/4 cups/263g all purpose/plain flour

2/3 cup/145g caster/superfine sugar

2/3 cups/96g white chocolate chips

1/2 cup/92g whole blanched almonds

1/4 cup/39g dried cranberries, soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350℉/180℃.

Toast almonds for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool and then coarsely chop.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the sugar and eggs on high until thick and pale.

Add the vanilla extract.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix till combined.

Fold in the chopped almonds, white chocolate chips and the drained cranberries.

Transfer the dough to a well floured counter. The dough will be very sticky.

You may need to flour your hands well too.

I wanted to make mini biscotti so I divided the dough in two.

Roll out into long logs. 

If you want bigger biscotti, leave in one piece and roll out into a 12″/30 cm by 3 1/2″ or 9 cm log.

Place on your baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until firm.

Cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

Turn down the oven to 325℉/165℃

Transfer one of the logs to a cutting board and cut 1/2″ (1.25 cm) slices on the diagonal.

Placing the slices back on the baking sheet, cut side down.

Repeat with the second log.

Bake a second time for 9 minutes  and flip over and bake the second side for another 9 minutes.

You want the biscotti to be golden brown.

Remove from the oven, cool on  a rack and store in an air tight container to keep them crisp.

Makes about 36-40 mini biscotti.

 

These make a great gift for a coffee lover if you are willing to part with any of them.

They are also very addictive; it’s impossible to eat just one.

 

 

Wishing all my readers a very happy holiday season! Happy Christmas to my readers celebrating on Tuesday.