This cranberry orange biscotti has added pistachios to the mix, for extra flavour and texture. A wonderfully festive biscotti that makes a great holiday gift, too!
Why you’ll love this cranberry orange biscotti
Biscotti is so easy to make and it keeps so well! The classic flavour combination of cranberry and orange is always a winner in my books and the added pistachios add both colour and texture. Biscotti is great to enjoy with coffee and tea and they are also great for holiday gifts!
Ingredients and substitutions
Oranges – while you can zest any orange, I always feel like navel oranges have the brightest orange flavour. You will need both the zest from an orange, as well as some freshly squeezed orange juice.
Dried Cranberries – you can use sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries, I prefer sweetened.
Pistachios – use raw, shelled, unsalted pistachios, as they have the brightest colour and pure nutty flavour. If you’d prefer a nut-free biscotti, simply replace the pistachios with the same amount of additional cranberries.
Butter – you can use salted or unsalted butter. For salted butter, reduce the added salt as directed in the Recipe Card.
Step-by-step photos
- Start the biscotti by adding the butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and creaming together.
- Add the egg and beat in.
- Add the orange zest and mix in.
- Add the flour mixture to the dough and mix in.
- Add the dried cranberries and pistachios to the dough.
- Mix the cranberries and pistachios until well distributed.
- Drop dollops of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a long row.
- Shape the dollops into a log (slightly wet hands helps here!)
- Bake the biscotti log, then remove from the oven and let it cool.
- Transfer the biscotti log to a cutting board to cut into individual biscotti.
- Place the cut biscotti onto the original baking sheet and return to the oven to bake a second time.
- Bake the biscotti to your desired crispness level, let cool and enjoy!
Recipe tips!
- As tempting as it is to add more cranberries and/or pistachios to the dough, the downside of too much is biscotti which is difficult to slice and becomes crumbly or falls apart in the process.
- Adjust the 2nd baking time to your preference for soft vs. harder biscotti. You can also dry the biscotti more by simply letting it sit on the counter overnight.
- The glaze is optional but does bring another hit of orange flavour to the biscotti. You can drizzle or dip the ends or bottoms in the glaze. Let stand until dried.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
Biscotti keeps well stored at room temperature for a couple of weeks. I love to store it in a large jar.
You can also freeze biscotti for up to 3 months.
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Get the Recipe: Cranberry Orange Biscotti
Ingredients
- 5 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 large large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, reduce slightly if using salted butter
- 1/4 cup pistachios, raw, shelled, unsalted, slightly chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Glaze:
- 1 cup icing/confectioners' sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (regular bake/not fan assisted). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in well after each addition. Add the vanilla, orange zest and orange juice and beat in.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and mix in just until the flour is incorporated. Do not over-mix.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the dried cranberries and pistachios and fold into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Drop dollops of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet into a long row. Using your hands, shape the dough into a log that is 11 inches long, about 4 inches wide and about 1/2" thick. Tip! Slightly wet hands make the shaping process easier.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, about 20 minutes. *Leave the oven on at 350F.
- Transfer the biscotti log to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife carefully cut into 1/2" slices. Place the slices onto the same baking sheet with parchment paper, standing upright.
- Return the biscotti to the 350F oven for 20 minutes. Check for crispness. If you prefer a softer cookie remove from oven now. If you prefer a crisper biscotti, you can continue to bake the biscotti for 10 more minutes. Transfer biscotti to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Optional Orange Glaze: Add the icing sugar to a small bowl. Add the orange juice a bit at a time, stirring in, until the mixture forms a thick glaze. Use a fork to drizzle over the cooled biscotti. (You can also dip the bottom or the end of the biscotti). Allow to stand until the glaze sets and hardens before storing in an airtight container.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container for about 2 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
