Cranberry Hazelnut Biscotti

Cranberry Hazelnut Biscotti are something I make year round; a great dessert to have on hand...especially for dipping in sweet dessert wines!

When I think of Christmas dishes in America I think of cranberries...they appear in sauces, breads, stuffings. And in Italy hazelnuts are a common Christmas dessert ingredient: nougat torrone, chocolate torrone and many other desserts. So why not make something sweet that will bring both Christmas traditions together in a very tasty way?

Although fresh cranberries are impossible to come by in Italy, dried ones are quite easy to find and biscotti most definitely call for a dried fruit. Try making these delicious biscotti as a New Year's or Befana treat.

The biscotti are baked twice, just as the name implies: bis is the Italian word for twice, and cotti for cooked. Hence, the English word biscuit (although the English word stems directly from the French word of the same meaning).

Cranberry Hazelnut Biscotti

 

Makes about 30 to 35 biscotti

• 240 grams flour “00” or all-purpose ((2 cups))
• 135 grams sugar ((⅔ cup))
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (1)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder (½)
• ½ teaspoon salt (½)
• 2 egg whites (2)
• 1 whole egg (1)
• 35 grams butter, softened ((3 tablespoons))
• 80 grams dried cranberries ((½ cup))
• 50 grams almonds, slivered ((½ cup))
• 70 grams hazelnuts, shelled ((½ cup))
• olive oil, just enough to oil your hands

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Using a dough hook, add the butter and eggs to the flour mixture on medium and mix for about a minute, or until a dough ball forms.
5. Mix in the cranberries and nuts until incorporated, about 20 seconds.
   
6. Using oiled hands shape the dough into a ball.
7. Place the dough on the cookie sheet and press into a rectangular log shape measuring approximately 35 centimeters long (14 inches), 10 centimeters wide (4 inches) and 1¼ centimeter (1/ 2 inch) thick.
8. Bake for about 25 minutes until the flattened log is just golden.
9. Remove from the oven and cool for ten minutes.
10. Slice the log into biscotti about 1¼ centimeter (1/ 2 inch) wide.
11. Line the biscotti on their sides on the baking sheet (two baking sheets if necessary) and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, until a rich golden color.
12. Cool the biscotti completely before placing in an airtight container for storage.
13. The biscotti can be kept for several weeks or frozen for later consumption.