Holiday Biscotti Two Ways (+ Easy Chocolate Bark)

Happy holiday! If you voted “Biscot-me” on instagram (I had a poll going), this recipe is for you. Chris and I have been making and gifting homemade biscotti for family and friends at Christmastime for the past several years. Not only are they tasty and super customizable, but they’re substantial enough to survive being packed and shipped (and pretty economical depending on where you buy your ingredients). The recipe below is adapted from The Joy of Cooking and can be easily customized depending on what you choose to mix in. I’ve provided two of my favorite variations, but feel free to go crazy and try something else. And don’t throw out that extra chocolate! There’s a little project at the end for using up the remainder. I usually bake two batches - one of each flavor– to have enough to gift 10 people 8 biscotti each. Sound tasty? Ready, set – bake!

Holiday Biscotti Two Ways: Cranberry-Pistachio-White Chocolate & Almond Dark Chocolate

Adapted from The Joy Of Cooking

Makes about 40 3-inch by 1/2-inch biscotti

Base ingredients:

• 3 1/3 cups flour

• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup oil (I use avocado oil)

• 1 1/4 cups sugar

• 2 large eggs + 2 eggs whites

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1/2 tsp orange zest

• 2 tsp vanilla

For Cranberry-Pistachio-White Chocolate:

• 8 oz dried cranberries

• 4 oz finely chopped pistachios

• 11 oz white chocolate chips

For Almond Dark Chocolate:

• 8 oz slivered almonds

• 11 oz dark chocolate chips

How to:

Preheat your oven to 375°f and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the remaining base ingredients until well-combined.

3. Next, choose your fighter: add in cranberries OR slivered almonds until mixed well into the dough.

4. Divide the dough in half and using floured hands shape into two logs about 11-inches long by 3 1/2-inches wide. Place far apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for about 25 minutes until lightly browned but still soft. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.

5. When logs are cool enough to touch, place on a cutting board and cut on a slight diagonal into 1/2-inch wide slices (about 20 slices per log). Lay the slices back on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, flip the slices, then bake for 5 more minutes until slightly golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. (keep the parchment-lined cookie sheet handy)

While the biscotti cool, prep your chocolate & pistachios (if using)

1. Melt the white or dark chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl nested over a pot of simmering water (note: be sure not to get ANY water in the chocolate or it will seize).

2. If using the chopped pistachios, place them on a small plate.

3. Once the biscotti are cool and the chocolate is fully melted, dip the bottom of each biscotti in chocolate, swipe off the excess with a chopstick, and (if using) tap the chocolate-covered bottom in pistachios (for the Cranberry-Pistachio-White Chocolate version). Place back on the cookie sheet and allow to harden completely.

Serve with coffee, tea, almond milk, or even eggnog!

Enjoy!

What to Do With Excess Chocolate:

Don’t throw out that excess melted chocolate! You’ll likely have plenty left over. Instead of licking the bowl, line a cookie sheet or cutting board with parchment and use a silicone spatula to scrape the excess from the bowl onto the parchment. Top with leftover cranberries, pistachios, and/or almonds (or anything else - candy canes or granola are tasty). Place in the freezer to harden, then use a sharp knife to chop into pieces. Voila! Chocolate bark!