Tart and tangy cranberry orange biscotti leads our 12 Days of Baking Challenge.

Today, I am jumping into the 12 Days of Baking Challenge with two of my favorite things; cranberries and biscotti. If you have never baked biscotti before, this easy recipe is a good one to start with. Biscotti is simple to make, tastes wonderful – especially with a cup of tea, and makes a really nice gift. It does take a little bit of time due to the “twice-baked”, so isn’t a last-minute type of recipe. But little of that time involves actual work! This particular biscotti is softer than the biscotti you buy at the grocery store. Its texture is more like a mandelbrot than a rock-hard biscotti.

12 Days of Baking Challenge

I may have bitten off more than I can chew – or bake – but please join me; for one day, three days, or all 12 days! We are baking something different each day between now and December 24^th. It can be anything you want; sweet or savoy. You can try today’s recipe, or something else. Get more details here.

Please send along a picture of your creation, along with a link to the recipe if you like, and I will post as many photos as I can. Or, post your own on Instagram with the hashtag #STPbakingchallenge. Happy baking!

Cranberry Orange Biscotti

Tart and tangy cranberry orange biscotti leads our 12 Days of Baking Challenge

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Ingredients

  

• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup safflower oil
• 2 Tablespoons orange zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips optional
• 1/8 teaspoon orange oil optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place cranberries in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Combine eggs, sugar, oil, orange zest, baking powder,vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl.
• Add flour, nuts, and cranberries and stir to mix well.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
• Divide dough in half. Form each half into a 2-inch diameter by 12-inch long log.
• Place logs on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until lightly brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
• Cut logs with a serrated knife into ½ inch thick slices.Slices can either be cut straight across or cut on the diagonal.
• Place slices, cut-side down, on the baking sheet. Bake about20 more minutes, turning slices once after 10 minutes.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.
• If desired, melt white chocolate chips according to package directions. Stir in orange oil.
• Dip ends of biscotti into melted chocolate. Let sit on parchment until set.

Find this and several other biscotti recipes in my book

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