Pistachio Biscotti

This recipe is absolutely amazing, it comes from a very close friend of mine - Andrea Leland.She would make this at the Christmas holiday to give as gifts. I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end and have been hooked on them ever since. I think you will be also.

Recipe adapted from www.piebirds.org

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pistachios
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lay the pistachios on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from the oven.
In an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, gradually add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; mix until creamed. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dough until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the pistachios until evenly distributed.
Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Roll each half into a log, each 12 inches long by 1-inch high. Place the logs on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly brown. Let the logs cool for 5 minutes and then place on a cutting board. Slice each log on a diagonal into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Put the cookies back on the cookie sheet and bake 6 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake the other side for another 5-7 minutes.

Chocolate Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

I think Heather said it best when she wrote, not only is this crispy biscotti intense in chocolaty flavor, but it is also studded with delicious and festive green pistachios and red dried cranberries. You get sweet, tart, nutty and rich flavors all in one cookie. Thank you Heather for sharing this recipe!!! This will be added to my list of favorite biscotti recipes.

Recipe adapted from www.heatherchristo.com

Makes 18 large cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup minced dark chocolate (I used 72% cocoa), finely chopped
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raw pistachios
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan with a sheet of parchment or a silpat. In a small bowl, combine the finely chopped chocolate and the brown sugar.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the eggs and vanilla until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar/chocolate mixture and mix on high another 2 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and combine until you have a wet cookie dough. Add the pistachios and the cranberries and gently mix them in. Using a well floured surface (and hands) form a log out of the dough, at the center it should be about 1” thick, and about 4” across. Put the cookie dough on the sheet pan with a silpat or with parchment paper, and bake the biscotti log for 40 minutes.  Let the log cool slightly, and then transfer the log to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice the biscotti into ½” thick wide pieces. Lay them on their sides on the same baking sheet. Bake them for 15 minutes, and then flip the cookies and bake an additional 15 minutes on the other side. Let cool and enjoy!