Orange Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios

 We just got back from our annual Anderson family reunion. Along with Gerry Anderson, clan pére, more than sixty-five siblings, spouses, grandchildren and great-grand children all gathered at our usual spot in the Smoky Mountains. Over the years we’ve done elaborate food and entertainment, but we’ve come to learn that just being together is the most important thing, so this year we kept it utterly simple.

Most of our meals were catered, but we still brought an abundance of sweet treats for the weekend.  I developed Almond Joy Bars especially for the occasion, and you’ll be seeing that recipe on the site in the next few weeks. I had  picked up a gigantic bag of shelled pistachios at Costco a few weeks ago, and so I decided to make a batch of Orange Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios too.

My sister-in-laws are great bakers, and so there were an array of irresistible cookies and bars. I was sure my lean, healthy biscotti might would be overlooked–especially among the grandsons. I was pleasantly surprised when my young adult nephew Nate asked for the biscotti recipe. It’s based on the biscotti formula in my fifth book, The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great, but I promised him I’d run the recipe here.

Here you go, Nate. Now head for the kitchen!

Orange Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios

 

Print

by: Three Many Cooks

Serves: Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
• 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
• ⅞ cup (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup roasted pistachios
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix eggs, vanilla, and zest in a small bowl. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients, first with a rubber spatula, then with hands to form a smooth, sticky dough. Mix in pistachios and cranberries until evenly distributed. Halve dough and transfer to a floured surface. With floured hands, roll each portion of dough into a 12-inch log and place on a parchment- (or silpat-lined) cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes.
3. Transfer each log to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Adjust oven rack to lower- and upper-middle positions and lower oven temperature to 275 degrees.
4. Working one at time, transfer a log to a cutting board and using a serrated knife, slice diagonally about ½-inch thick. Arrange biscotti on 2 parchment- (or silpat-) lined cookie sheets. Bake until golden brown and almost crisp throughout, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until cool and dry (Can be stored in an airtight container up to a 1 month).

Notes

Biscotti are some of my favorite tea sweets. As cookies go, they’re lean, yet flavorful and satisfying, and the dough is simple to make and bake. The baking time is slow and the oven temperature is low, making these cookies almost impossible to burn. After forming the dough into two logs, pop them in the oven for the first baking. There’s plenty of time for a nice walk, and by the time you get back, the baked logs are ready to slice. Return the sliced cookies into the oven for the second baking. As soon as they crisp up and turn golden, they’re done. Now you’ve got enough treats for many cups of late-afternoon tea or coffee.

3.2.1311