Holiday Almond Cherry Biscotti
Festive red and green cherry biscotti to serve up for the holidays! Sweetened with white chocolate and candied cherries, these bright cheery biscotti are perfect any time of the day! Tips: For the crispiest biscotti, allow time to cool in the over after baking. For Valentine's Day or Sweetest Day, use only red cherries!*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- medium mixing bowl
- small bowl
- mixer (recommended)
- pastry brush
- knife or nut chopper
- serrated knife
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sugar White sugar
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ⅛ tsp allspice Optional
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2½ cup AP flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup candied cherries Red and green. Tip: if you can't find candied cherries, simmer maraschino cherries until they have thickened, or pat them dry and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- ½ cup almonds Chopped -divided - can use all pistachios or half pistachios
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips Ghirardelli are really good.
Instructions
- Chop the nuts and set aside. Take about 3 tbsp of those nuts and chop them finely to top the biscotti. Set those aside too.
- Chop cherries into at least quarters. While chopping sprinkle with flour to stop them from sticking together.
- In large bowl, beat eggs until combined.
- Spoon about 3 tbsp of the eggs into a small bowl and set aside for egg-wash.
- Add sugar, oil and extracts and beat until combined
- In medium bowl stir dry ingredients together, flour, baking powder, salt and allspice.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the large bowl and mix in
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients in two batches and mix in.
- Pour dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the nuts and cherries.
- Place loaves onto parchment paper and brush with egg wash.
- Sprinkle on the chopped nuts and score the loaves into 10-12 half-inch wide slices. This will make slicing them easier after the loaves have baked. Refrigerate for at least a half hour or until ready to bake.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- First bake - bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned. It should spring back when lightly pressed.
- Reduce oven to 200°F (or turn it off until you are ready for second bake)
- Allow loaves to cool on baking sheet for ten to fifteen minutes before slicing.
- Carefully remove from sheet pan to a cutting surface. Using a very sharp serrated knife, cut along the score lines. *Tip: if the tops are crumbling when slicing, sprinkle loaves with a misting of water then try again.
- Place back on the baking sheet and return to the 190-200°F oven for 20 minutes or 30 minutes if you like a crispier/harder cookie. Check on them after fifteen minutes. If they are browning, reduce heat to 190°F.
- Flip each slice over and return to the oven for another 20-30 minutes.
- For the crispiest/hardest biscotti, turn the oven off after the final bake and allow them to cool in the oven for at least a half hour.
- When the cookies have cooled, place chocolate chips in a small dry bowl and melt in 5-10 second increments, stirring until they are melted.
- Drizzle the chocolate with a spoon, or pipe it into a bag and pipe it over the tops of the biscotti. You could also dip the cookies into the chocolate.
Notes
If you love this biscotti recipe, try my other biscotti recipe, Biscotti di Mama Bruno.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Support your favorite food bloggers by rating or liking our recipes, or start your Amazon shopping from a link on a food blog. The blogger receives a small commission, at NO cost to you.
Nutrition
Serving: 2biscottiCalories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 46mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 61IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 2mg
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