Holiday Biscotti

This is one of my go-to recipes at the holiday season. The name ‘red and green’ really pertains to the red dried cranberries and the green pistachios. Sure they’d be good anytime of year, but with the colored white chocolate – I like to keep them special to Christmas!

2 1/4 Cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 Cup unsalted butter – bring to room temperature

3/4 Cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Cup dried cranberries

3/4 Cup shelled pistachio nuts

Approx. 6 oz. each red and green white chocolate disks

Preheat oven to 325F.  Prepare two cookie baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.  Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beat well.  Mix in the vanilla.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just blended.  Stir in the cranberries and nuts.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour coated surface.  Divide in half.  Roll each half into a log approx. 1 1/2 inches wide by approx. 15 inches long. Place both onto one of the baking sheets a few inches apart.  Pat down very lightly to form a “slightly flattened” log.  Bake until lightly firm to the touch, approx. 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Place the logs one at a time on a cutting board and using a serrated knife with a light sawing motion, cut into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices.  Lay the slices on their sides in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake until slightly golden on top – about 5-7 minutes, turn over and repeat with other side.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate disks either over a double boiler or in the microwave.  IMPORTANT!  Melt very slowly.  If using the microwave, use the absolute lowest power setting (ie: defrost) and cook at 1 minute intervals, stirring between each minute.   Chocolate is ready when it is smooth and stirs easily and silky.

Line a counter or other work surface with wax paper.  Working quickly, dip one end of each biscotti in the chocolate, allow the excess to drip off, if the chocolate begins to ‘thicken’, just return to microwave and warm up – again – very low and slow.  Place on the wax paper and allow to cool.  The biscotti will release easily once the chocolate is hardened.  Place in a dry container between wax paper.   Makes about 3 dozen.