Truthfully, I am not a huge baker and much more of a cook. When it’s Christmas time, however, I do enjoy donning on an apron, covering myself in flour, and whipping up a few sweet holiday treats. Like any sane human, I love baking and eating Christmas cookies. But with so many people opting for traditional holiday favorites like sugar cookies, I like to make something a little bit different when I make the effort to bake up some Christmas cheer.
My original Christmas Biscotti gives me the satisfaction of Christmas baking while paying homage to my Italian roots. Ever since I developed this recipe about 7 years ago, these biscotti have become a friend and family favorite I bake and share every December. This is one of my original recipes I very much look forward to sharing with my children one day!
My Christmas Biscotti are just the right amount of sweet and satisfyingly crunchy! With red from tart dried cranberries, green from earthy pistachios, a bit of warm orange zest, a splash of lively amaretto, and rich dark chocolate, these biscotti look and taste like Christmas! Try them with a nice cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa for an optimally festive experience.
Christmas Biscotti
Serves: 12–14 Cookies | Prep Time: 2 Hours | Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons orange zest
- ½ cup salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Amaretto liqueur
- ½ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- Optional: 1 cup dark chocolate chips to make glaze
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and orange zest with a hand mixer until a crumb-like texture is formed. Add one egg at a time and beat until completely incorporated. Mix in the Amaretto liqueur. Working in thirds, add the flour mixture and beat together until all ingredients are mixed and dough starts to form. Add the pistachios, cranberries, and chocolate chips until well distributed throughout the dough.
Place the dough in the center of the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and form a log that is 13 inches long and 3 inches wide. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the log is golden brown. Remove from oven and baking sheet and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Using a sharp or serrated bread knife, slice the log in ½ inch to ¾ inch slices (be careful as the slices will be quite fragile). Place the slices with cut side down on the baking sheet and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a baking rack.
Optional: melt the 1 cup of dark chocolate in a double boiler. Pour the melted chocolate onto a plate. Dip the flat bottom of the biscotti in the melted chocolate and set aside until the chocolate hardens. Enjoy!
Buon Natale!
Whisk flour and baking powder together. 
In a large bowl, add the butter, sugar, and orange zest. 
Mix until a crumb-like texture is formed. 
Beat in 1 egg at a time until fully incorporated. Then add the Amaretto. 
Working in 1/3s, add the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. 
Add the cranberries, pistachios, and dark chocolate. 
Mix until everything is evenly incorporated. 
Form the dough into a 13 inch long by 3 inch wide log and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
Bake 40-45 minutes until golden-brown. Cool for 30 minutes. 
Cut into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch slices. 
Place back on the baking sheet face up. 
Bake another 15-20 minutes until golden-brown on the face. 
Cool. Serve as is or melt 1 cup of dark chocolate and dunk the flat bottoms of the biscotti and allow the chocolate to dry then serve.
Making this recipe? Post a pic on Instagram and tag me with @johnnylapasta! Also, let me know what you think in the comments below!
Johnny La Pasta 