My favorite part of Christmas? The cookies. More specifically, these cookies. I’ve been thinking about them for months. They’re perfect for Christmas and very festive, speckled with red and green. I made several batches last year to include in Christmas baskets and this year I’m prepared to make even more.
Did I mention how great they are if you dip them in a steamy mug of hot chocolate?
Red, White, and Green Biscotti
A festive addition to your holiday cookie platter: crunchy biscotti studded with pistachios, cranberries, and white chocolate.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup shelled raw unsalted pistachios
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup white chocolate baking chips or chunks (for biscotti)
- 8 oz white chocolate or candy bark, melted (for dipping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, oil, and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in pistachios, dried cranberries, and 3/4 cup chopped white chocolate. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls in two 12-inch-long strips on prepared baking sheet, spacing strips 3 inches apart. Using wet fingertips, shape each strip into 3-inch-wide log, pressing for even width and thickness (logs may look slightly lumpy).
- Bake logs until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool logs on sheet 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325.
- Carefully transfer logs to cutting board. Line same baking sheet with parchment paper (I used the same sheet). Cut each log crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices. Stand biscotti upright, spacing about 1/4 inch apart, in 3 rows on prepared baking sheet. Bake until pale golden (biscotti may be soft but will firm as they cool), about 20 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet.
- Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt white chocolate in a glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir until smooth.
- Dip 1 end or 1 side of each biscotti in chocolate; place on baking sheet. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. (Can be made ahead. Arrange in single layer in airtight container and store up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)
Notes
Yields: 3 dozen cookies
Estimated time: 1 hour 30 minutes
I too love the Christmas cookies – especially Gingerbread Men! 😀
I saw these on yourblog from last year and knew I wanted to make them. You said they can be made ahead and frozen up to 2 weeks. Should I freeze them with the chocolate coating or does it matter?
Beautiful photos… it’s like the biscottis are just pointing at me and calling my name 🙂
Those look great – and so festive!
These look divine! I’m thinking I might make them for my mom as part of her Christmas gift. She’ll kill me for ruining her diet – but I think she’ll secretly be thrilled with them!
These look amazing, can’t wait to try them! May become a new favorite!! Cheers 🙂
I bet those are good. My mom makes an orange cranberry pistachio cookie that she just loves. I should have her give these a try as well.
The cookies are certainly one of the best parts of the holidays and those biscotti look really good!
Those look delicous. I must try making those when I get home from vacation.
What a fantastic recipe! How do you think they would be with dried cherries instead of dried cranberries? Too sweet?
Cherries would work beautifully!
This recipe caught my eye a couple months ago and I determined to make them as soon as possible. I’ve never made biscotti before and found it very easy. I made it for my family and we all found it to be delicious. I then made it for the Thanksgiving dessert table. There were tons of desserts, but these biscotti cookies were the first to go. I highly recommend it.
These were a big hit this Christmas! I will definitely make them again and they were very simple! Thanks so much for sharing!