Did you know that the word biscotti comes from the neo-Latin word biscoctus, meaning “cooked twice”? I just learned that in the course of writing this post – I did some very scholarly research Wikipedia searching. By nature of their dryness, twice-baked baked goods last relatively longer before going bad, so foods prepared in this way were particularly useful in pre-modern times before refrigeration was an option.
Biscotti are typically served with a beverage for dunking (in Italy, with certain types of wine as a dessert, but elsewhere, typically with coffee). You might think that because I’m not really a coffee drinker, I wouldn’t be into biscotti, but for whatever reason I’ve always been fond of it. My grandmother used to keep chocolate-covered biscotti in her pantry, and, as a kid, I would sometimes sneak one during the long expanse between lunch and dinner to tide me over.
These cranberry hazelnut biscotti came about when I was trying to use up some extra hazelnuts after making several batches of truffles, and they really hit the spot – drizzled with chocolate but not too sweet (which was particularly welcome after the truffles!), crunchy/crumbly, and punctuated with fruits and nuts. Feel free to substitute other types of dried fruits and nuts – just don’t skip the chocolate!
I baked this batch of biscotti just to have around the house, but in the past I’ve also made biscotti to give as a gift – it’s a great recipe to have on hand when you’re going to a party and need a quick host(ess) gift or when you just want to show someone you’re thinking about him or her!
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine (dairy-free is fine), at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract, eggs, and orange zest.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the sugar and butter mixture, stirring until smooth. Mix in the dried cranberries and chopped hazelnuts.
- Split the dough into two halves. On a well-floured surface, shape each half into a roll of about 12 inches long (the dough will be sticky, so flour liberally!). Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Gently flatten each roll with your hands, to a width of 3-4 inches.
- Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, or until slightly golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 and allow the biscotti rolls to cool for 5 minutes.
- Cut the biscotti into slices (if you are using silicone mats, be sure to transfer the biscotti to a cutting board!), about 3/4-inch thick. Return the slices to the baking sheet(s), placing them with a cut side against the sheet. Bake at 300 for 45 minutes, or until the biscotti are hard to the touch, flipping them halfway through the baking time to the other cut side.
- Once the biscotti are cool, melt the chocolate chips (either in the microwave or in a double boiler). Drizzle the melted chocolate over the biscotti with a spoon or transfer it to a plastic bag to pipe it on top.
biscotti is hands-down one of my favorites; it’s been years since i’ve baked any up. you’ve inspired me!
Always glad to lend some inspiration! 🙂
Wow, these biscotti look PERFECT! Like they came from a bakery! They sound so yummy… and I love the chocolate drizzle on top. 🙂
Thanks so much! The chocolate drizzle really helps tie it all together!
Yup, I definitely need to make biscotti one of these days too. I love a good crunchy biscotti. Cranberry + hazelnuts + a drizzle of chocolate sounds absolutely delicious. 🙂
Thanks! They’re really quite easy – I don’t know why I don’t make them more often…
the little drizzle of icing was a smart move to an aleady gorgeous looking biscotti. im so impressed with how well its made. im not the best at making biscotti so hats off to you
You’re too kind! Thank you 🙂
Yum. These look like a great little “pick me up”.
My thoughts exactly!
Yum!! I totally want to dunk this in a chai latte!
Yesss…that would be a delicious combo!
These look ridiculously perfect! That chocolate drizzle is immaculate and I loooove the flavors, I’ve never had cranberries and hazelnuts together but it sounds amazing 🙂
Thank you! I love cranberries and hazelnuts together – they seem very festive to me 🙂
I love biscotti so much! They are such a nice afternoon treat with a cup of coffee. Cranberry and hazelnuts sound like a perfect addition!
They really are a lovely afternoon treat! A quiet moment, some biscotti, maybe a crossword puzzle…sounds like perfection to me 🙂
Mmm… These photos are making me crave coffee and biscotti. *Walks to the kitchen*
Excellent! I’m glad the photos are doing their job 🙂
I love biscotti! It’s the perfect excuse to have cookies at breakfast 🙂
Exactly! Cake is already covered (thanks to coffee cake), so now we just have to figure out an excuse to have ice cream at breakfast. I’m thinking waffles a la mode?
I love biscotti as after dinner coffee or milk dunkers! And the fact that there’s not such a rush to eat them before they go bad is definitely a good thing. Love the cranberry hazelnut infusion!
Thanks! And yes, that’s a good point – because they keep longer, you can eat them at your own pace (compare: “Well gosh, this cake won’t be any good in a few days, I guess we’d better eat it all now!”).