Biscotti is one type of cookie I always try to send my kids in their Christmas goodie package. They all drink coffee and/or tea, and there is nothing better on a busy holiday morning than a sweet and crunchy biscotti to help set the holiday spirit. So when I read this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis which contained dried cranberries (red) and pistachios (green), it seemed too fortuitous to ignore.

So I baked up a couple batches, decorated them in honor of the season, and sent them off to the kids via the capable hands of UPS.

Now something you should know about biscotti. THEY ARE STINKIN’ EASY TO MAKE! And why they are so expensive in bakeries or off the grocery store shelf is way beyond my understanding. I mean really! Just because they look impressive should not give providers the right to charge so darn much. And because I like to stand behind some of the outlandish statements I make on this blog, I went on line and found an example of what I’m talking about. From Etsy, 1 dozen traditional Italian Almond Biscotti – $20.00. Shipping – $13.75. I assume you can do the math on this, but in case your calculator is at the repair shop, that’s $2.82 each! You can practically prepare an entire batch of 36-40 biscotti for about double the amount of 1 of these purchased babies. And yes I know, someone had to buy the ingredients, pay for the facility, heat, electricity, labor etc. etc. But $13.75 for shipping? How heavy are these little darlings anyway? That would be my first question! All together, in my opinion, way too much money to spend on a simple to prepare cookie. 

Anyway, I’ll get off my high horse and get back to this recipe. (Steam is still coming out of my ears, but I shall contain myself for your sake.) Like I said before, biscotti are really very easy to make. And this recipe is no exception. It is just delicious and perfect for the Christmas holidays.

So give this wonderful biscotti recipe a try. You can find my other biscotti recipes under Biscotti – 6 Ways From Sunday also on this site. Cheers

• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¾ c. sugar
• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest   
• 2 lg. eggs, room temperature
• ¾ c. pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 2/3 c. dried cranberries
• 6-oz. good-quality white chocolate, chopped
• ¼ tsp. vegetable oil
• red and green sugar crystals, for garnish (if making for Christmas)

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and dried cranberries.

Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Place the log on a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into ¾-inch thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a rack and cool completely. Don’t clean the cookie sheet.

Melt the white chocolate slowly in a microwave oven. Stir in the oil. Place cooled biscotti back on the baking sheet close together so they are touching. Lightly drizzle the melted chocolate on each biscotti in a zig-zag pattern. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals if preparing the biscotti for Christmas. Otherwise just leave plain. Leave on the cooling racks until the white chocolate is set. (This takes a while.) Or refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 50 minutes.

The biscotti can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container, or wrapped in foil and frozen in re-sealable plastic bags.