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.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cranberry Biscotti – TWD

Don’t be like me.

I am the girl who basically has to chanta reminder over and over in her head so she doesn’t forget to buy eggs.

I am the girl who doesn’t do anything but air dry her hair. Sometimes… I don’t even condition it. I’m lazy.

I’m the girl who is so scattered it takes all day to handle a few simple chores. I’m easily distracted. To the extent which I don’t think you could ever fully appreciate.

   

I am the girl who decides to decorate her lovely biscotti with white chocolate drizzle then takes them outside (for natural light, of course) to photograph and forgets that it’s almost 100 degrees outside. So all of my chocolate melts. Then promptly finds its way on to my fingers, camera, nose, shorts, and glasses.

Do yourself a favor, don’t be like me. Unless you don’t mind licking chocolate off of your camera outside your apartment door for all your neighbors to see.

Melty chocolate aside, these biscotti were phenom. They are chocolate overload and I love every second of it. I used part black cocoa, part rouge cocoa powder, hazelnuts, dried cranberries and semi-sweet chocolate chips and boy, oh boy were these awesome.

Normally I’d pawn biscotti off to my mom but she is a self-proclaimed chocolate hater (kind of like someone else I know, ahem) so these were all for me. Ok, maybe half of them are for me… the rest have to go before I turn into a biscotti myself!!

For the recipe, head on over to Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes. (Click here for the recipe)

SMS – (Sour) Cherry Almond Biscotti

I used to hate biscotti.

A crispy, crunchy, crumbly, plain, bland cookie… no thanks. I did not belong in the ‘I friggin love biscotti camp.’ I was more part of the soft, chewy, round, chocolate chip studded camp.

I was a snob, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

But I have changed my ways, scout’s honor.

Once I started baking many different types of cookies that were outside my comfort (and personal taste) zone, I became much more open minded to all different kinds of cookies: spicy cookies, cakey cookies, cookies with jam, cookies that resemble poo, even square cookies!

I’m a changed gal with much broader views of the world… erm… of cookies. One step at a time people.

Biscotti are quite possibly the most forgiving cookies one can make. As long as you don’t burn them to the point where they resemble chunks of coal, you’re good to go! Throw everything together, chill the dough, divide and roll into logs, bake, cut, bake and cool. That’s it!!

These really are delicious and beautiful cookies. Almond scented, studded with bits of dried fruit and nuts that pair perfectly with your favorite tea. The flavor is subtle and not over-powering and the texture is a beautiful crunch and crumble.

They would make a wonderful gift for that biscotti lover in your life.

I only wish I would have given them to my mom in a pretty box with sparkly tissue paper instead of a ziplok bag. But she received them just as well 🙂

Thank you to Tracey of Made by Tray Tray for choosing these biscotti and making my mom a very happy woman 🙂 Head on over to her blog for the recipe!

Up next week: Chocolate Walnut Brownies. Yum.