Festive Cranberry And Date Biscotti Recipes

HOLIDAY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.
• Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
• Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.
• The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

CRANBERRY ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
• Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk together eggs, egg whites, and vanilla or almond extract in a separate mixing bowl.
• Add egg mixture to dry ingredients, mixing just until moist, using an electric mixer on medium speed. Add dried cranberries and almonds; mix thoroughly.
• On floured surface, divide batter in half and pat each half into a log approximately 14 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes or until firm. Cool on a wire rack about 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
• Cut biscotti on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place cut biscotti upright on a cookie sheet, spacing them about an inch apart, and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool and store in a loosely covered container.

CRANBERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until well-blended. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into egg mixture. Stir in ground almonds and cranberries (mixture will be stiff)., Divide dough in half. Using lightly floured hands, shape each portion into a 9x3-in. rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes., Cool on pans on wire racks until firm. Reduce oven setting to 325°. Transfer baked rectangles to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2-in. slices. Place on baking sheets, cut side down., Bake until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes per side. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

BROWN SUGAR AND DATE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add dates and pecans and beat until combined.
• Divide dough in half and transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Form each half into a 2 1/2-inch-wide, 3/4-inch-tall log. Bake until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack, 20 minutes.
• With a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/4-inch slices on the diagonal and arrange, cut side down, on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake until biscotti are crisp and golden, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets and flipping biscotti halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk with a fork to mix. Add eggs and butter and mix on medium until a loose dough forms, about 1 minute. Stir in cranberries, nuts, zest and anise seeds and mix until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Transfer dough to baking sheet. Spray hands with cooking spray and form dough into a long, flat log, about 14 inches long by 4 inches wide. Bake until outside of log is firm and browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Slice loaf into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on 2 baking sheets, return to oven and bake until lightly toasted, about 12 minutes. Cool. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

FESTIVE CRANBERRY AND DATE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend well.
• Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
• Mix in orange zest, vanilla, ginger and nutmeg.
• Beat in flour mixture just until blended.
• Stir in cranberries, dates and pistachios (dough will be sticky).
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.
• Gather dough together; divide in half.
• Roll each half into 15-inch-long log (about 1 1/4 inches wide).
• Carefully transfer logs to 1 prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.
• Bake logs until almost firm to touch but still pale, about 30 minutes.
• Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes.
• Maintain oven temperature.
• Carefully transfer logs still on parchment paper to cutting board.
• Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Place slices, one cut side down, on remaining 2 prepared sheets.
• Bake until firm and pale golden, about 10 minutes per side.
• Transfer cookies to racks and cool.
• Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth.
• Remove from over water.
• Using tines of fork, drizzle chocolate over biscotti or, alternatively, dip half of biscotti in the melted chocolate.
• Let stand until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

FESTIVE FRUIT PLATTER

Steps:

• Whisk limeade and honey until blended.
• Slowly whisk in oil until thick and smooth.
• Dip bananas, apples and pears in mixture.
• Line platter with leaves.
• Arrange red and green grapes, apricot and starfruit in alternating groups in a circle around outside edge of platter.
• Alternate orange slices and more star fruit with apple and pear slices in a smaller circle.
• In the next circle, arrange kiwi, pineapple, bananas and strawberries.
• Sprinkle raspberries over all.