A Gift of Good Taste: Holiday Biscotti Recipe

Is it in bad taste to give your neighbor, co-worker, Pilates instructor or favorite UPS man another bottle of wine this year? Well, no, but let’s admit it: it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to go pick up a case of cheap, er, I mean inexpensive vino.
If you want to show those people in your life that you really care, show ‘em some love with a batch of homemade biscotti. This recipe, courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis, is easy to prepare and very versatile.
Once those gifts are lined up under the tree your recipient will have a hard time remembering who gave them which bottle of merlot, but your biscotti? Now that is a gift they will remember. Gifts of food are always in good taste!

Holiday Biscotti Recipe

Using an electric mixer, beat together ½ cup unsalted, room temperature butter, ¾ cup natural cane sugar, ½ teaspoon almond extract and ¼ teaspoon salt until blended. Beat in 2 eggs (one at a time) until incorporated.
Add 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour and 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, just until blended. Stir in ¾ cup coarsely chopped pistachios and 2/3 cup dried cranberries.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide flattened log on the prepared sheet.

Bake in a 350-degree oven until light golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on the pan for at least 30 minutes.

Place the cool log on a cutting board and cut the log on a diagonal into ½ to ¾ inch slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on an unlined baking sheet. Bake again, for 15 minutes until golden. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

Biscotti are fabulous plain, but if you want to doll them up, drizzle with melted white chocolate or dip the ends and decorate with colored sugar.

Biscotti Recipe Variations to Try

Any dried fruit and nut combination can be substituted in this recipe. Try one of the ones listed below or get creative with your favorites (and be sure to share your favorite combinations in the comments!).
The Darker the Better: Cherries, almonds and dark chocolate.
Sophisticated: Apricots, walnuts and milk chocolate.
Jump the Pond: Blueberry, pecans and lemon zest instead of the almond extract.
Island Fever: Pineapple, coconut and rum.
Do you like biscotti? What is your favorite combination of flavors? —Karen