cranberry almond biscotti

One of the first things that Erin named when I repeatedly begged asked her which cookies she wanted to make this week was biscotti.  Biscotti?  Really?  Well, I guess considering our love for the world of Starbucks and all of the phenomena it has caused, it makes sense. But still, I was baffled.  Not that pumped to make them, but still excited to cross it off my baking to-do list.  Baking this was really fun - we even toasted the almond ourselves, which, I will enthusiastically add, was one of the most amazing smells that I've ever been responsible for in the kitchen. I don't know anyone that doesn't love the smell of toasted almond.

Admittedly so, biscotti won this little war. I honestly forgot how great these cookies are until I snuck a little taste as we finished baking them this morning. I used to love biscotti with coffee, but for some reason, I honestly just...forgot about it.  And you know what else?  I always hated cranberry/almond/orange flavored things, but this biscotti is truly great.  It's so simple and basic, but it really does embody holiday baking. 

We decided on this recipe because it not only came from two incredible reputable sources, but it was basic enough to adapt to our own tastes. We decided on adding in cranberries, which was the perfect addition to this recipe - I really don't think anything else would compliment the orange zest, orange liqueur, and toasted almond quite like the cranberry does. A great holiday breakfast treat to go with your morning coffee!

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

Courtesy of Bon Apetit and Smitten Kitchen

3¼ cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/3 teaspoon salt

1½ cups sugar

10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or orange liqueur

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped or sliced almonds

1 large egg white

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. 
3. Mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, orange liqueur and zest in large bowl. 
4. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well blended. Mix in almonds.
5. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13½-inch-long, 2 ½-inch-wide log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. 
6. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each dough log.
7. Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. 
8. Cool logs completely on sheet on rack, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
9. Transfer logs to work surface; discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into ½-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.