– Submitted by Eva Chung
For the past 17 years, I have done Bakefest – a baking extravaganza that takes place during the holidays where my tiny kitchen turns into a cookie factory and I pump out hundreds and hundreds of baked goods for my family, friends, and work colleagues.
I change the Bakefest roster every year, but the Cranberry & Pistachio Biscotti are a tried and true staple. It’s always highly ranked among the dozen or so cookies and brownies from the Bakefest roster.
Many folks even tell me that they don’t usually like biscotti, but they LOVE my biscotti. My family are among the biscotti converts and it’s the only thing they request that I bring when I travel home to see them. I dutifully fill half of my suitcase with biscotti and lucky for them, TSA has never confiscated any of the coveted biscotti. 🙂
Recipe
Cookie:
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
Method
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until combined. Mix in cranberries and pistachios.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape each piece into a 16-by-2-inch log, and transfer to prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, flatten logs slightly. Brush beaten egg over surface of the dough logs, and sprinkle generously with sugar.
- Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until logs are slightly firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Transfer logs on parchment paper to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
- Place logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut logs crosswise on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place a wire rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on rack. Bake until firm to touch, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let biscotti cool completely on rack. Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
