White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Deliciously dunkable and packed with all things great: dried cranberries, pistachios, and plenty of melted white chocolate.

Golden brown biscotti with toasty pistachios, tart dried cranberries, a happy dose of cinnamon, and all the white chocolate in the world is sitting on my plate right now as I type this. Alongside my favorite pumpkin coffee because pumpkin coffee is a 365 days/year thing here. My hair is in one of those astronomically high buns, my glasses are smudged, and there’s flour all over my sleeves.

MAN it feels good to be home. ♥

We’re already at recipe #7 in my annual cookie palooza! And, my friends, it’s a good one. Before I forget, have you entered my cookbook giveaway? I posted it at the bottom of my recent salted caramel cinnamon macaron recipe. Which, by the way, you have to try making at home.

It’s been a few months since I made biscotti and it’s everything I’ve been craving for the past week. Absolutely nothing hits the spot quite like the crunchy cookie on my plate, especially when it goes from hand to coffee mug to mouth. Hold on for a sec. Let me just take this bite…

The white chocolate literally melting in my mouth. !!! Where was I?

I don’t make biscotti quite often so when I do, it’s extra special. And it’s just the ticket this week as I settle back into the chaotic routine called my work life. I whipped this batch up yesterday morning and while pistachios and dried cranberries were always part of the biscotti plan– that glorious white chocolate I can’t shut up about was an afterthought. And WHAT an addition it makes.

Have you ever made biscotti before? Let me teach you. I have a couple biscotti recipes on my blog and I shared the first one around this time last year. It’s the exact recipe that turned me into a biscotti lover. And today’s wonderful white chocolate cranberry pistachio version (say that 3x fast) uses the same base recipe. Here’s why I know you’ll love it: I make biscotti with ingredients, ratio of those ingredients, and in such a way to get the best possible texture. Crunchy without breaking your teeth. Soft crunchy. Not crispy crunchy. Does that make sense? Like, crumbly without tasting sandy or dry. And when each cookie is dipped into a steamy mug of coffee/tea/hot cocoa? It just melts in your mouth.

Nerdy Biscotti Things

I went over a couple of this science-y stuff in my chocolate almond biscotti recipe last year, but I’m going to go over some of it again in case you missed it. Biscotti’s only wet ingredients are eggs; eggs help the biscotti keep its shape and prevent the biscotti from tasting too dry. Many recipes these days call for butter and/or oil as well. The addition of these fats makes biscotti a little more flavorful. The butter is added the same exact way I add it to scones and pie crust: cold and cut into the dry ingredients. I only use a Tablespoon of oil, but that 1 Tablespoon adds just the right amount of richness.

For some flavor, I use brown sugar instead of white sugar to sweeten the biscotti. Also: a touch of cinnamon and plenty of vanilla. All of these flavors + dried cranberries + pistachios + white chocolate + a warm coffee dunk. Can’t even handle it.

To make biscotti, you have to shape the dough into two slabs. It’s weird. These slabs are baked, then cut into 1-inch slices. The slices are then baked on their sides, about 9 minutes per side. Here’s a visual of what the heck I’m talking about.

Biscotti spends a lot of time in the oven. It has to or else it will taste like semi-softish very crumbly cake. The oven time is what makes biscotti perfectly crunchy. And all this oven time is why we’re using 3 eggs, butter, AND a touch of oil. Prevents the biscotti from completely drying out!

To really give my latest biscotti creation some flavor and jazz, I channeled one of my favorite cookie recipes. (Hey. I need to make those again soon.) Pistachios and dried cranberries are mixed into the biscotti dough. And I use pleeeeeenty because I prefer cookies with a lot of “stuff.” Texture freak right here. Once the biscotti is finished in the oven, it gets a very generous dunk into melted white chocolate. You can dunk the biscotti any which way– or even drizzle the white chocolate on top. But I opted for a way to get white chocolate in every single bite. And I think know you should do the same.

Home is where the deliciously dunk-able white chocolate cranberry pistachio biscotti is.

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White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

★★★★★
5 from 1 reviews

• 
  Author: Sally


• 
  Prep Time: 40 minutes


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  Cook Time: 45 minutes


• 
  Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes


• 
  Yield: 18 cookies


• 
  Category: Cookies


• 
  Method: Baking


• 
  Cuisine: Italian

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Description

Deliciously crunchy and crumbly, my white chocolate cranberry pistachio biscotti is perfect for dipping!

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Ingredients

• 2 and 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for work surface + hands


• 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I prefer light here)


• 1 teaspoon baking powder


• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed


• 3 large eggs


• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) canola or vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)


• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


• 3/4 cup (75g) pistachios


• 3/4 cup (120g) dried cranberries


• egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk


• 8 – 10 (226g – 282g) ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped*

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.


2. Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla together. Pour into the flour/butter mixture and gently mix together until everything is just barely moistened. Fold in the pistachios and dried cranberries.


3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and with floured hands, knead lightly until the dough is soft and slightly sticky, about 8-10 times. If it’s uncontrollably sticky, knead 1-2 more Tablespoon(s) of flour into the dough. Divide the dough in two and place each half onto a baking sheet. Shape each half into an 8-9 inch long roll, patting down until each is about 1/2 inch thick. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top and sides of each biscotti slab with egg wash.


4. Bake in batches (or together) for 25-26 minutes, or until the top and sides of the biscotti slabs are lightly browned. Remove from the oven, but do not turn off the heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Once the slabs are cool enough to handle, cut each into 1 inch thick slices. Set slices cut sides upright, ¼ inch apart, on the baking sheets. Return to the oven to continue baking for 8 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake other side for 8 minutes. The cookies will be slightly soft in the centers with harder edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping in white chocolate. The biscotti becomes crunchy as it cools. Save the baking sheets for the next step.


5. Melt the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler or (carefully!) use the microwave. For the microwave, place the white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Dip each biscotti cookie in the melted chocolate and place back onto the baking sheets. Allow chocolate to set in the refrigerator or at room temperature.


6. Biscotti will stay fresh covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

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Notes

1. Freezing Instructions: Biscotti can be frozen for up to 3 months, with or without chocolate. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before dipping in white chocolate and/or serving.


2. Chocolate: Make sure you’re using quality chocolate here, not chocolate chips. If dunking the entire bottoms of the biscotti cookies like I did, you’ll need about 10 ounces of white chocolate. If drizzling, you’ll only need about 8 ounces.

Keywords: white chocolate cranberry pistachio biscotti, cranberry biscotti, biscotti

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Try my mocha chip version next!

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