Honey Cranberry Apricot Almond Biscotti

My mommy likes biscotti. And I like my mommy. I want her to be happy. So I wanted to make her yummy fruit studded biscotti since they are her favorite.

But dang I didn’t plan for this.

The dough was sticky and difficult to work with. I pulled the log of biscotti out too soon so the center was still a bit raw. Then, without thinking, I placed the baking sheet on a hot burner and it burned a few of the best looking biscotti. And even after 10 mins of extra oven time, they came out still slightly soft. It didn’t seem to be coming together. I’m still not completely sure that I should share this recipe with all it’s hiccups, but the end result was tasty. Regardless of the mini-stroke that I incurred trying to make these.

Below is my adaptation of the recipe. It originally called for 1 less cup of flour but that left the dough pretty soupy. My only advice it to have a bowl of flour next to your work surface and flour the heck out of your counter and hands while working with the dough.

Cranberry Honey Pistachio Biscotti
adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook as seen on Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
scant 1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cup whole almonds
1 large egg beaten with one teaspoon of water, for an egg wash

Directions:

Soak cranberries in boiling water to cover in a small bowl until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain, then pat them dry with a paper towel.

Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined. Add eggs, vanilla and honey and with your stand mixer, mix (or with an electric mixer) at medium speed until dough forms. Add cranberries, apricots and pistachios and mix at low speed until combined.

Turn dough out onto a WELL-floured surface and knead a few times. The dough will still be QUITE sticky! Halve dough. Using floured hands, form each half into a slightly flattened 13-by-2-inch log on baking sheet, spacing logs about 3 inches apart. (Making two loaves was quite a task so I just made one large log instead) Brush logs with egg wash.

Bake until golden 25 to 30 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet on a rack for 10 minutes. (Leave oven on.)

Transfer logs to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange slices, cut side down in one layer on a baking sheet (it’s fine if slices touch each other). Bake, turning once, until golden and crisp, 20-25 minutes. Transfer biscotti to racks to cool.

Optional: melt a bit of white chocolate and drizzle onto the cooled biscotti and allow to harden.

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