Up your Holiday baking game with a batch of these Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti! The BEST Biscotti recipe with a video and how to tips! These Biscotti Cookies are dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with chopped pistachios and cranberries for a festive taste!
There’s nothing like a good Biscotti recipe, and this one feels and looks like the Holidays!
Do you guys do cookie exchange every year? Lately, our cookie exchanges have all been “kiddie” friendly because the girls love baking with me. I can probably say our cookies have been everything and anything chocolate.
This year I’m off from hosting a Holiday cookie exchange party. But since Holiday baking is something I long for every year, I’m still baking for friends, teachers, neighbours and family 🙂
BISCOTTI RECIPE
These twice baked Italian Biscotti cookies are a MUST try!
Here’s why I love them:
- First of all, they’re light as air, easy to whip up and taste like pure Holiday joy!
- Biscotti has a fabulous crunch, a sweet cranberry and pistachio taste with a spike of orange/lemon.
- The biscotti dough is made without butter, just a touch of oil, and with egg whites only.
- Egg whites instead of whole eggs also add such a perfect crunch. You can however, use whole eggs for a richer taste.
- Now yes, I mentioned these Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti are light as air. Which is why we can totally afford to dip them in white chocolate. I mean it’s the Holidays!
- And not only are these dipped into chocolate but also sprinkled with finely crushed cranberries and pistachios for the red and green festive look.
HOW TO MAKE BISCOTTI
Here’s the step by step breakdown of this cranberry pistachio biscotti recipe!
You’ll add sugar and orange/lemon zest in a bowl, add in some oil and egg whites.
Use a simple a wooden spoon to mix everything, then go in with the flour and baking powder mixture. Use the same wooden spoon to combine and halfway, add in the cranberries and shelled pistachios.
Continue to stir until all mixed up.
Now you’ll divide the biscotti dough in half and form a log with each half. Here’s the trick: I made those into small-medium sized biscotti and that’s why I made 2 logs.
If you want bigger bakery style biscotti, then use the dough to make only one log.
And if you want those mini cute looking bucatini cookies then divide the dough into 3 or 4 logs. Then you’ll flatten the logs on top with your hands gently and they hit the oven.
After baking, the logs are sliced diagonally into 1/2 and inch thick slices.
And here’s another trick—the sharper the angle you slice the log at, the longer your biscotti will look, while the smaller angle you slice on, the smaller your biscotti will look.
Once sliced the biscotti slices goes back into a lower oven for 12 minutes to crisp up.
And now the fun part. It’s optional but really worth it. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and dip the tops of each cranberry pistachio biscotti into the white chocolate.
Then dip your biscotti into a bowl of crushed cranberries and pistachios. Let the white chocolate set at room temperature or in the fridge for a speedy set up.
CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI
This recipe is mainly a Holiday inspired one, so it’s very much a Holiday Biscotti. However once you practice shaping the dough, and slicing it, making biscotti will be a breeze.
The different flavors you can make are endless! Think berries, chocolate chips, nuts, spices, extracts, dried fruits..and more.
This Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti also makes great Holiday gifts! Have your kids or friends help you wrap these, or enjoy them with coffee 🙂
BISCOTTI COOKIES TIPS
- The biscotti dough has to be soft, not sticky and not dry. It has to be easily shaped into a log without sticking to your hands or crumbling apart as you shape it.
- Since flour and humidity may play a role in baking, feel free to adjust the flour by a tablespoon at a time (if the dough is too sticky) or milk (if the dough is too dry).
- For small-medium sized biscotti make 2 logs, like in the pictures. If you want bigger bakery-style biscotti, use the dough to make only one log.
- If you want those mini cute looking bucatini cookies, then divide the dough into 3 or 4 logs.
- The biscotti dough is done the first bake when it has risen and the tops are dry.
- The sharper the angle you slice the cookie log at, the longer your biscotti will look.
- I recommend using a mini food processor to finely crush pistachios, unless you buy the pistachios pre-chopped.
CHICWRAP
Do you remember my Fool Proof Homemade Dinner Rolls recipe? I’ve shared about ChicWrap the first time.
They are makers of reusable dispensers for parchment paper, foil and plastic wrap. They all have a slide button for easy cutting, they’re pretty enough to sit right on the counter, and the dispensers are refillable so there’s less waste. I love the quality of foil, parchment paper and plastic!
You know how chef quality products make your life in the kitchen ten times easier? This is one of them. Your cooking, your baking and your kitchen organization is now a hundred times easier, faster and more efficient. Take advantage of the Holiday Promotions
HOLIDAY RECIPES
Sweet Persimmon Apple Kale Salad Recipe
Leg of Lamb with Mashed Potatoes
Rosemary Spiced Candied Pecans and Pita Chips for A Cheese Party
Persimmon Hazelnut Raisin Swirl Loaf
Festive Cranberry Pistachio Holiday Biscotti
Up your Holiday baking game with a batch of these Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti! The BEST Biscotti recipe with a video and how to tips! These Biscotti Cookies are dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with chopped pistachios and cranberries for a festive taste!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 orange or lemon zested
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/3 cup egg whites or 2 whole eggs
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup cranberries
- 1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
Optional for decoration
- 1 cup white chocolate chopped
- 1/4 cup cranberries minced
- 1/4 cup unshelled pistachios minced
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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In a small bowl, add the flour and baking powder and mix them well.
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In a large bowl, mix the sugar, orange zest and oil using a wooden spoon or whisk. Add in the egg whites and mix well.
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Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and using a wooden spoon mix them, and halfway add the pistachios and cranberries and then continue mixing until the cookie dough is ready.
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Divide the cookie dough into 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 (depending on the size of biscotti desired) and shape into a log ( or 2 or 3 or 4 logs depending on size you chose). Press the tops of the log gently to flatten it and bake the cookie log for about 25 mins until slightly golden and set.
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Lower the oven to 325F.
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Remove the cookie logs from the oven and use a sharp serrated knife to slice the cookie log diagonally into half inch thick slices.
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Place the biscotti slices back on the baking sheet and bake at 325 for 12 mins until crips ( the biscotti will harden as it cools down).
To decorate
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Melt the white chocolate in halfway bowl for 1 min.
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Place the pistachio and cranberry mixture in another bowl.
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Take each biscotti and dip the top of it in the white chocolate mixture allowing the excess chocolate to drip off. Then dip it right into the crushed pistachio cranberry mixture.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- The biscotti dough has to be soft, not sticky and not dry. It has to be easily shaped into a log without sticking to your hands or crumbling apart as you shape it.
- Since flour and humidity may play a role in baking, feel free to adjust the flour by a tablespoon at a time (if the dough is too sticky) or milk (if the dough is too dry).
- For small-medium sized biscotti make 2 logs, like in the pictures. If you want bigger bakery-style biscotti, use the dough to make only one log.
- If you want those mini cute looking bucatini cookies, then divide the dough into 3 or 4 logs.
- The biscotti dough is done the first bake when it has risen and the tops are dry.
- The sharper the angle you slice the cookie log at, the longer your biscotti will look.
- I recommend using a mini food processor to finely crush pistachios, unless you buy the pistachios pre-chopped.
Carolyn leighton
What would be the best egg substitutes to make thes vegan without messing with the texture?
Mahy
Hi Carolyn, You can absolutely use the flax or chia egg. I haven’t tried making it using bananas, although I feel it would be delicious!
SHANIKA
These Biscotti Cookies look so good! Such a festive Holiday treat!
Julia
I haven’t had biscotti in ages! Love how festive these look. Delish!
Demeter
Love the festive touch to these! They’re so yummy and went along perfectly with my morning coffee.
Jacqueline Debono
I love biscotti! They really are pretty easy to make and delicious. Yours look so fabulous and festive with the pistachios and cranberries!
Tonje
These are seriously yummy – perfect for Christmas!
pat
Is that dried cranberries i use?
Mahy
Yes dried
Mary Laffin
These sound great. But can you clarify if you are using fresh or dried cranberries.
Thanks
Mahy
Hi Mary, yes it’s dried!
Cindy
Hi, are these made with fresh or dried cranberries? The picture looks like dried.
Mahy
It’s dried cranberries
Theresa
My dough is crumbly. What went wrong?
Mahy
Hi Theresa, some times the type of flours can differ. If you feel your dough is dry and won’t hold its’ shape, just add a touch more of the egg white–about a tablespoon at a time. you shouldn’t need more than two tablespoons.
Let me know!:)
Evelyn
I baked these tonight – they were outstanding. It’s not often that something I make looks exactly like the photo!
Mahy
Yaaay Evelyn! So happy you enjoyed these! 🙂 They’re my favorite!! Happy Holidays!
nancy
I don’t usually cook with orange zest so I’m not sure how much to use! Can you help me out here?
Mahy
Hi Nancy, if you zest half an orange, you’ll end up with roughly a tablespoon of zest. That’s all you need for a nice faint orange flavor–not too strong, but definitely a noticeable one. If you prefer lemon, do the same with a lemon. You can also skip the zest all together and use vanilla only:) It’s really a personal taste thing 🙂 Enjoy!
Mona
I love biscotti but with cranberry and pistachio tastes different
Mahy
So true Jessy–I gift them all the time and I get big Thank You’s 🙂 Hope you make them this year!
The Food Hunter
Oh I love how festive they are…adding to my cookie list
Mahy
Thanks so much!! They’re absolutely amazing for the Holidays, and any day!
Mahy
Thanks Amanda!! Biscotti is so easy to make as you can see and this is the perfect place to start 🙂
Mahy
Thanks Bintu ! They absolutely make the BEST Holiday gifts I agree 🙂