Festive cranberry pistachio biscotti are deliciously crunchy and easy to make! Fresh cranberries and crunchy pistachios give these classic twice-baked Italian cookies a holiday spin!
Every year, I start my Christmas baking with biscotti.
These twice-baked Italian cookies are shelf stable, which stores well for a long time.
Plus, thanks to its sturdy texture, biscotti travel well. If you’re planning to ship some holiday treats this year, biscotti is a great choice!
These biscotti cookies, you see here, are the third batch I made this season. THIRD!!
A few weeks ago, Lindsay from Pinch of Yum shared her whole-wheat cranberry dark chocolate biscotti. They looked so good, I had to hunt down some fresh cranberries right away to jump start the cookie season. Her biscotti have no processed sugar, made with whole-wheat flour, unsweetened dark chocolate and raw honey. I loved it! Crunchy, not-so-sweet wholesome biscotti heaven! My sweet-toothed husband, on other hand, wasn’t a big fan, yet he had two (go figure)!
Inspired by Lindsay’s cranberry biscotti, I made my not as healthy, but equally delicious version of these twice-baked cookies. Just look at those tiny red specks of cranberries all over, spreading joyful holiday vibes! You feel it?
How to make these biscotti:
It takes only minutes to prep the cookie batter.
- Pulse fresh cranberries in a food processor. And chop pistachios.
- Cream butter and sugar. And then add eggs and extracts.
- Add the dry ingredients along with cranberries and pistachios.
- Form the batter into a log on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the biscotti log. Then cut into small pieces and bake again.
Tip
The batter is rather sticky, so dusting some flour is a must here.
But be careful not to use too much flour, or your biscotti will become heavy and dense.
This silicone dough scraper is quite handy to get the dough out of the bowl and to shape it, but any silicone spatula will work great too.
White chocolate drizzle adds such glamour to these cookies. It’s totally optional, but who can say no to extra sweetness and fancy look? Not me!
How long can you store biscotti?
Baking biscotti twice draws a lot of the moisture out, therefore extends their shelf life.
Be sure to cool the cookies completely before storing them in airtight container. Biscotti will keep well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
By the way, biscotti are especially delicious when dunked in hot coffee, or tea, or better yet in hot chai latte!
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) fresh cranberries
- ½ cup (60g) roasted and shelled pistachios
- ¼ cup (55g) unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (85g) white chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper or silicone mat.
- To make the dough: In a food processor, pulse the cranberries a few times until fine crumbs. And coarsely chop the pistachios.
- In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, or using an electric hand- mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined, another 2 or so minutes.
- Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix just until well combined. The dough will be pretty sticky at this point, but don't worry, it's totally normal.
- Add cranberries and pistachios.
- To shape and bake the cookies: Sprinkle some flour on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer the dough onto the floured baking sheet using a silicone spatula. Form into about 11×3.5inch (28x9cm) log. Since the dough is quite sticky, flour your hands too.
- Alternatively, you can divide the dough into 2 parts and form 2 narrower logs to make mini biscotti.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
- Then while the biscotti log is still warm, cut it into 3/4-inch wide strips, using a serrated knife. Place them back on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. For extra crunch, flip them and bake for another 10 minutes.
- To decorate (optional): If desired, melt white chocolate in a double boiler or microwave until smooth, stirring frequently. Transfer the melted chocolate to the pastry bag with small round tip (I used Wilton #7), or zip-lock bag with small hole cut in the corner, and drizzle over the biscotti.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
This post was originally published on November 5, 2014.
Kaylee Khoshaba says
II can’t wait to try this! Would this recipe freeze well?
Shinee says
Hi, Kaylee. Yes, these biscotti freeze well.
Gloria Marandola says
This was my first time making biscotti. This recipe was so easy and the finished product was delicious! I will definitely make it again.
Shinee says
Yay, so happy to read your comment. Thank you for sharing, Gloria!!
Lisa Detwiler says
Great recipe with holiday color!. I substituted coconut sugar and added a little orange and lemon zest.
Just finished the first bake. They taste great however I had a little trouble with the top crumbling and some pieces breaking off. Any suggestions? These will be great to wake up to tomorrow!
Shinee says
Hi, Lisa! So glad you tried the recipe. Hope you liked these biscotti. Orange and lemon zest sounds like amazing addition, how was coconut sugar sub? And I know what you mean by top pieces breaking off. Did you use serrated knife? I find that serrated knife helps to make cleaner cut, also it’s much easier if you cut it while it’s still nice and warm. Again, hope you enjoyed the cookies and if you snapped a photo, don’t forget to submit it here. Thank you!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
I love the combination of cranberries and pistachios. Plus biscotti are among my favorite cookies. Pinning for holiday baking time!
Shinee says
Thanks, Laura!