CHRISTMAS BISCOTTI: This is one way I make Christmas Biscotti using red and green candied cherries and pistachio nuts which are green. They look so festive! Another way is I use dried cranberries and pistachios. Or a combo of dried cranberries with the cherries! The possibilities are endless!
You can leave the biscotti plain. You can drizzle a glaze on top. Or you can dip an end in any chocolate and add sprinkles and/or nuts.
A lot of people love these biscotti!
I love biscotti with any mixed fruit and nuts! (My favorite nut to use in biscotti is pistachios).
Also, I like them to be a little softer instead of the typical hard biscotti. For the second bake time I keep the time short and do not twice bake each side. Instead, I put the biscotti back in the oven with the flat side down and only do one side for a short twice bake.
This gives me a semi-soft or semi-hard biscotti, whichever way you want to say it!
See my recipes for Mixed Fruit Biscotti and Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti in the search box.
In the SLIDESHOW BELOW I am making CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI. But the steps are the SAME for any biscotti I make!
Enjoy!
Christmas Biscotti
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oil
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1¾ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup candied cherries red and green, cut in half
- 1½ cup pistachio nuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300º.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the oil and sugar well, then stir in the vanilla and almond extracts and eggs. Set aside.
- With a mixer on lowest speed, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Add in the oil mixture, and mix on lowest speed to form a dough.
- Add in the candied red and green cherries and pistachio nuts and beat for only 2 or 3 seconds to incorporate. You don't want to mix too long or the cherry colors will bleed into the dough.
- Wet your hands and form the dough into 2 logs, (12×2 inches each) on the parchment paper.
- Bake the logs at 300° for 35-40 minutes or just until the logs are a light golden color on top.
- Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the pan cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, reduce the oven to 275º.
- Remove the logs to a cutting board. Using a sharp straight-edged knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into ¾ inch slices.
- Lay the slices back onto the parchment paper flat side down, separating the biscotti an inch apart.
- Bake for another 5 minutes. They will still be soft to the touch.
- Immediately transfer the biscotti from the pan to a wire rack to cool. They will harden a bit more as they cool. Leave them plain, or decorate as you wish when they are cooled. See suggested decorations in the tips below.
- Store the biscotti in a covered tin or pan on top of the counter.
I never made biscotti before. I substituted walnuts and fruit and peel. These were absolutely delicious. I was so happy. Thank you.
Oh, I am SO glad you liked them as much as we do, and happy to pass along to others!! You are very welcome!