12.8.20
Normally, there’d be a slew of ideas and recipes I’d be churning out right now. I’d be bringing desserts to my friends holiday gatherings and then prepping to host my own party this weekend, a tradition I’ve had for a few years now. My apartment would be packed with friends I see all the time and those I haven’t had a chance to catch up with in ages. There’d be music and multiple bottles of bourbon as well as a giant crockpot of chili to feed my friends so they’re not all drunken disasters on an empty stomach. I’d have to-go boxes set out around midnight so everyone could pack dessert as they begin to gather their coats and head out. The last person would leave in the wee hours of the morning and I’d still be buzzing as I clean as much as possible until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore and crash into a deep satisfied, joyful sleep. If I was having a party this year, which of course I’m NOT, because among my many nicknames, I don’t want superspreader to be one of them, these two types of biscotti would’ve been on the menu. Perfect for parties, biscotti recipes result in a large batch of cookies and they can be made days ahead of time, being the first thing to check off your prep list.
And since I cannot encourage anyone to have large parties this year (be smart, people!) I would suggest, instead, making these for the holiday to accompany your morning coffee with loved ones. This cranberry almond biscotti joins two classic flavors that work year round while the gingerbread biscotti is a perfect seasonal treat, both drizzled and dipped in a rich eggnog glaze. I find drinking eggnog gross, but for some reason, the flavor in baked goods is my jam. And this glaze gives you the perfect sampling of the flavor without being overwhelming.
It’s written in the recipe below, but I can’t stress enough how much you should make sure your loaf pre-bake is no wider than 3″. Even this loaf below was a little big for my taste, and I was just at the 3″ wide measurement. Biscotti dough widens quite a bit in the oven, so take that into consideration. Other recipes around the internet keep the temperature at 350° for the second bake, but I personally thought lowering it to 325° created the perfect biscotti, with that lovely crunch but not so much you have to move it to the back of your mouth because you can only bite into it with your molars. Does that make sense? Are my teeth weak? Bottom line: biscotti is easy to make, stays fresh for weeks and can be flavored to your liking. It would make a lovely addition to your holiday plans this year.
Holiday Biscotti
Ingredients
Cranberry Almond Biscotti
- 6 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries*
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds*
Gingerbread Biscotti
- 6 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 TBSP molasses
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 TBSP ground ginger
- 1 TBSP cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- dash of pepper
Eggnog Glaze**
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- 3-4 TBSP eggnog
- splash of vanilla extract
- cinnamon or chai seasoning to sprinkle on glaze before set, if desired
Instructions
Cranberry Almond Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, set aside
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes
- Add in eggs one at a time, then almond extract, allow to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed
- On low speed, add in dry ingredients
- When almost combined, add in dried cranberries and almonds and allow to mix in throughout the dough
- Divide dough in half (mine in total was about 750g, so 375g for each half if you want to be exact)
- Mold each half into a a log on the baking sheet, leaving space in between, about 9 1/2″ by 2″-3″. Do not go wider than 3″, your biscotti loaf will widen too much making ginormous cookies. I’d air on the side of 2″-2 1/2″ personally
- Bake for 25-27 minutes, the loaves will begin to brown but will be soft enough to easily cut
- Remove from oven, lower oven temp to 325° and allow to cool 10 minutes. Then carefully move loaf to cutting board, cut loaf on the diagonal (see picture above) and place sliced cookies back on baking sheet, cut side up
- Repeat with second loaf, baking for 11 minutes, flip cookies to other cut side and bake an additional 11 minutes, cookies will become a nice golden brown
- Allow to cool fully before dipping or drizzling with Eggnog glaze (instructions follow)
- Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks unglazed, after being glazed, eat within a week
Gingerbread Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350°, line baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, spices, and salt
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes
- Add in eggs one at a time, then molasses, then vanilla extract, allow each to combine before adding the next, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed
- On low speed, add in dry ingredients
- Divide dough in half (mine in total was about 757g, so about 378g for each half if you want to be exact)
- Mold each half into a log on the baking sheet, leaving space in between, about 9 1/2″ by 2″-3″. Do not go wider than 3″, your biscotti loaf will widen too much during baking, making ginormous cookies. I’d air on the side of 2″-2 1/2″ personally
- Bake for 25-27 minutes, because this dough is already a darker color, you will not notice a browning, but as long as your oven temperature is accurate, you should be fine
- Remove from oven, lower temperature to 325° and allow to cool 10 minutes. Then carefully move loaf to cutting board, cut loaf on the diagonal (see picture above) and place sliced cookies back on baking sheet, cut side up
- Repeat with second loaf, baking for 11 minutes, flip cookies to other cut side and bake an additional 11 minutes, the smell in your house will be amazing
- Allow to fully cool before dipping or drizzling with Eggnog glaze (instructions follow)
- Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks unglazed, after being glazed, eat within a week
Eggnog Glaze
- Mix all ingredients together, the consistency should look like thick melted white chocolate, if it’s too thin to set, add more sugar, if it’s too thick add a little eggnog
- Dip or drizzle biscotti with glaze, sprinkle with seasonings if desired
P.S.
*Mix-ins can be adjusted depending how much you want in the cookies, they can be pared down to 1/4 cup all the way up to a full cup for each
**This glaze recipes is enough to glaze ONE type of biscotti, if you make more than one batch, or both these recipes together, double this recipe
