Cranberry Orange Pistachio Biscotti Recipe
There is a timeless appeal to pairing a hot cup of coffee with a crisp, twice-baked Italian treat. That is where Cranberry Orange Pistachio Biscotti come in. They offer a sophisticated crunch, combining bright citrus zest with the sweetness of dried fruit and toasted nuts.
Being British, we tend to enjoy tea in the morning and coffee as an afternoon pick-me-up. Now that I live in the U.S and married to a coffee loving American, I’ve started to enjoy coffee more and more in the mornings. I do also still enjoy a cup in the afternoons as well.
You can never have too much of a good thing. Sometimes, tea just needs to take a back seat, but there are always times to fit in a comforting cup of tea.
What are Biscotti?
If you’re not familiar with biscotti, they are an Italian cookie that are very different to other cookies. The dough is formed into a ‘log’ shape then baked until just golden brown. This log is then sliced into the familiar shaped cookies then baked again to obtain the ultimate crunch.
Biscotti are traditionally made with almonds. But they’re a blank canvas because you can pretty much add whatever ingredients you choose and they always turn out delicious.
Do You Dip your Biscotti in Coffee?
While enjoying a warming cup of coffee, I love nothing better than a little sweet treat. Dipping into the coffee, which is usually how they are served. We all like dipping (or dunking). Whatever you call it we all deserve a treat when enjoying the most popular beverage in the world.
More Cookings for Dipping
Florentine Cookies are an Italian favorite of mine for pairing with espresso or coffee. They thin, almond-based crunch sandwiched with chocolate. Beyond the classic pairing, White Chocolate and Peppermint varieties provide additional seasonal profiles for those looking to expand their dipping repertoire.
Cranberry Orange Pistachio Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose/plain flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup shelled pistachios
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 orange
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C with rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a bowl, stir to mix.
- To a separate bowl (or stand mixer) add the eggs and sugar. Beat until about 3 minutes until pale yellow. Add the flour mixture, pistachios and cranberries, vanilla and orange zest. Mix until combined. The dough will be sticky, allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Using wet hands, form the dough into a mound on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until a little browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the dough into ¾ inch thick slices. Place them back onto the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes until crisp.
Great recipe! Made this flavor profile as well as a white chocolate peppermint for the holidays (needed to cut the peppermint oil a bit, but still tasty!).
Great ideas, thank you for sharing.
Hi Janette,
I am curious to know if you have ever tried making these with fresh cranberries. I would like to try it, but not have a disaster on my hands as I want to bring them to my dear friend for a holiday gift. I love the combination of flavors and only have fresh berries on hand and am currently snowed in!
I have not tried this recipe using fresh cranberries, but I have seen it done. Instead of leaving them whole, it looks like it would work best blending them, but I’m not sure about the amount and I would think you would need more sugar. I hope this helps.
Made these but added an egg wash to the top on the first bake – they smelled amazing while cooking – tasted wonderful and were hard and flavorful. Lovely simple recipe. Working my way through your site … one recipe at a time … a fun fun experience 🙂
Thank you so much! And I’m glad you enjoyed the biscotti.
A beautiful recipe. I substituted chopped up homemade candied orange peel for the zest and I’ll use an icing laced with orange simple syrup for a drizzle.
Thank you for choosing my recipe. I’m so happy you like it and I love the changes you made.
No butter required
I understand that butter is neither traditional nor required in biscotti, but I like it in my recipe as it makes them a little softer, but still retaining a really good crunch.
Where is the recipe? I paged all the way down and do not see it.
I’m sorry the recipe was not showing for you. I’ve reloaded the recipe card and it should be there, let me know if you have any more issues or questions.
I love my Nespresso and need to find this coffee and also make these biscotti.