Adventures in Holiday Baking - Part 4

In this installment of my "Adventures in Holiday Baking" mini series, I'm sharing a recipe that I've worked for quite some time to adapt and perfect.  In the quest for my perfect biscotti, there's been a lot of trial and error.  I did take a page out of my good friend, Jenny Morrison's baking book and strive for a slightly cake-ier biscotti as opposed to the typical tooth breaking texture that leaves no choice but to dip it into a cup of coffee.

On a side note, Jenny writes an incredible blog and is a phenomenal baker.  Check her out here.

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

1/4 cup light olive oil

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups pistachio nuts

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts
- Whip the eggs and add to the oil mixture
- In a smaller bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder
- Whisk your dry ingredients into the wet until they form a thick dough
- Gently fold in pistachios and cranberries
- Form the dough into two logs, the dough may be a bit sticky and it helps to wet your hands before you work with it
- Bake the logs for 35 minutes
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for a minimum of 10 minutes
- Slice your biscotti into 3/4 inch cookies and arrange in a single layer on your baking sheet
- Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes (shorter for a cake-ier consistency, longer to crisp)

*You can replace the cranberries and pistachios with any fruits or nuts you prefer.  I like the "holiday" look of the red and green and the flavor profile works well together.
**For an more traditional Italian flavored biscotti, substitute the almond extract for anise.