This biscotti recipe is truly the best! It uses sweetened dried cranberries, and pistachios and each cookie is dipped in melted white chocolate. They’re perfect for the holidays, go well with coffee and espresso and they’re easy to make. Check out all of our favorite cookie recipes too!
Biscotti and coffee are like biscuits and gravy. Like peanut butter and jelly, they’re meant for each other. You can’t begin to conceive of one without the other.
This is one of the best biscotti recipes ever! My mother-in-law has been making them for years and they are truly a favorite. The flavors of lemon, cranberry, pistachio, and vanilla mixed with chewy cranberries and pistachios make them very unique and festive. Each cookie is dipped in white chocolate taking them to the next level.
These make really great Christmas cookies with red cranberries and green pistachios! Also, try our delicious pistachio cake recipe!
What Is Biscotti?
If you’re unfamiliar with this Italian biscuit, biscotti may scare you! You may be daunted by the prospect of baking foreign food and especially one that seems dry and tasteless… however, this couldn’t be further from the truth!
Biscotti tastes as tantalizing as it sounds. It derives from the Latin word biscoctus, meaning “twice-baked.” Italians apply the word to a variety of cookies, while Americans use it to specifically refer to the crisp, long, twice-baked cookie.
How to Make Biscotti
They’re really not that hard to make. Below are the basic steps to making them, we recommend reading this through before jumping to the recipe.
- Make the simple dough by beating butter and sugar, adding in egg yolks, flour and folding in cranberries and pistachios.
- Divide it in half and form two logs (about 15 inches long and 2 inches wide) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15 minutes in a 320-degree oven.
- Next, use a bread knife or another serrated knife to cut the logs into clean, smooth slices about 1/2″ thick. Slice the logs at an angle if you want a coffee shop look. Or you can slice straight.
- Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- Ensure that they cool on a wire rack after the second bake so they can crisp completely.
- Melt white chocolate chips and dip the end of each cookie into the chocolate. Let the chocolate harden.
- Enjoy with coffee!
Biscotti Variations
Variations of the traditional biscotti recipe run the gamut. Whether you crave spiced biscotti, nutty, citrusy, or chocolate-frosted, there are unique variations you can try.
Other variations include ginger biscotti, chocolate chunk, and fruit biscotti.
To add your own variations, simple use this recipe and then fold in other ingredients to replace the cranberries and pistachios, like chocolate chunks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is Biscotti So Hard?
They’re hard because it’s baked twice. Leaving the dough out after the first bake makes it especially hard.
What Does Biscotti Taste Like?
Biscotti gets most of its taste from its mix-ins: pecans, pistachios, slivered almonds, and lemon zest, for example. Other tastes come from hazelnuts, cranberries and dried fruit, anise, and melted chocolate drizzle or dark chocolate chips.
Should Biscotti Have Butter?
Yes! Butter in biscotti lends to a richer flavor and comes out so tasty!
You can still ge the crisp and crunchy bite of a biscotti using butter and they’ll be less dry and more flavorful.
How Do You Know When Biscotti Is Done?
They’re done when they turn golden brown. It’s also done when it’s crunchy and dry throughout. The texture should look and feel as twice-baked as its name means.
How Long Should Biscotti Cool Before Cutting?
Biscotti should cool for about 10 minutes before you cut it. Don’t let it cool for any less time.
A Delicious Bread
Originally an Italian biscuit, biscotti has since been adopted by American tastes. Like with other products of American culture, biscotti has been beefed up to American standards. In the U.S., it’s more flavorful, crunchier, and more sugary.
As you have learned, you can tailor this biscotti recipe to your specific tastes. While there’s an unchangeable foundation of any kind of biscotti, it can be creatively manipulated and made your own!
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Butter-less Chocolate Chip Cookies
A Deliciously Moist Coffee Cake Recipe
Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies
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Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1 cup pistachios
- 8 ounces white chocolate morsels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Measure out the ingredients. Add the eggs to a small bowl with the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Add the flour and baking powder in a bowl and lightly stir with a fork to blend.
- Beat the butter and sugar on medium until blended. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add in one egg yolk at a time, continue beating.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour and mix until the ingredients are incorperated.
- Using a spatula, fold in the sweetened cranberries and pistachios.
- Divide the dough in half and form two logs (about 15 inches long and 2 inches wide) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15 minutes in a 320-degree oven.
- Next, use a bread knife or another serrated knife to cut the logs into clean, smooth slices about 1/2″ thick. Slice the logs at an angle if you want a coffee shop biscotti’s long slices. Or you can slice straight.
- Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- Ensure that the biscotti cool on a wire rack after the second bake so they can crisp completely.
- Melt white chocolate chips and dip the end of each biscotti into the chocolate. Let the chocolate harden.
Thanks for a lovely recipe. These biscottis look absolutely amazing!
rae of love from berlin
You’re welcome Rae!! Thanks for the sweet comment 🙂