Holiday Biscotti
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This biscotti recipe is what warm mugs near and far are begging to be dunked into this holiday season!
Festive Holiday Biscotti is loaded with white chocolate, tart cranberries, and crunchy pistachios for lots of tastes and textures in every bite. The pistachios and dried cranberries provide nuttiness and fruity tartness to contrast with the rich, creamy sweetness of the white chocolate chunks. Perfect for dunking!
Happy holidays! As the year comes to an end I am winding down with recipes. I wanted to save this one for the week before Christmas, for those of you who are doing your holiday baking and also looking for a great homemade gift. This Holiday Biscotti recipe is perfect for cookie trays, bundled up and wrapped in cellophane, Christmas biscotti makes great holiday gifts or a fun hostess gift when you attend your next holiday party.
Holiday Biscotti
If you haven’t made them before, the key to good biscotti is to use good quality ingredients and to let the cookies dry out. You want to end up with really crunchy cookies, ideal for dipping or dunking in your coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Making this recipe is fairly simple and you can easily modify based on what you’ve got on hand and what your taste preferences are through the combination of white chocolate, cranberries, and pistachios.
If you love holiday biscotti, you are sure to love these too: Orange Meltaway Cookies, Spice Cookies With Pumpkin Dip, or Orange Ginger Refrigerator Cookies.
Christmas Biscotti Recipe
Perfect for cookie exchanges, a Christmas party, or your holiday dessert buffet, these cookies taste and look great and no one will believe how easy they are to make. Make a double batch and freeze some to have on hand for when unexpected guests drop in.
Biscotti Ingredients
For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe.
- Butter – I used unsalted butter at room temperature but salted also works.
- Sugar – These biscotti have a combination of white and brown sugar.
- Egg – Any kind of egg, also at room temperature. I typically buy large eggs.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Almond extract – Almond extract adds more depth and some almond flavor.
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour to make these biscotti.
- Baking powder – Baking powder helps the cookies rise.
- Salt – A touch of salt to enhance the flavor.
- Pistachios – Pistachios, chopped, add flavor and texture.
- Dried cranberries – Dried cranberries give the cookies a nice tart flavor.
- White chocolate– Chopped white chocolate adds creaminess and sweetness. Make sure to use good-quality white chocolate for the best taste.
Optional Biscotti Topping:
- White chocolate – More white chocolate for coating the biscotti. Use melting chocolate or white chocolate chips.
- Pistachios– Additional chopped pistachios add more crunch and flavor.
How to make this holiday biscotti with cranberries and pistachios
Here are the simple steps to make this biscotti.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, cream butter, brown, and white sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs, vanilla, and almond extract until combined.
Sift in flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until just combined. Mix in cranberries, white chocolate, and pistachios.
Add dough to the parchment-lined cookie sheet and shape it into a wide log about 8×4”.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and dry.
Eight: Remove from oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack. Place the biscotti dough on a cutting board and cut into 3⁄4” slices using a very sharp serrated knife. Transfer the biscotti back to the prepared baking sheet.
Decrease oven temperature to 275 F and bake a second time for another 10-15 minutes until completely dry. Make sure the biscotti doesn’t brown any further at this point. Your goal here is to essentially “dry them out”.
Let cool on a wire rack.
Optional: Melt more white chocolate and place in a bowl. Chop up some more pistachios and place them in a separate bowl. Dip half of the biscotti in the white chocolate, then in the pistachios, and place on a cookie sheet to dry.
Biscotti will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature and three months in the freezer. To freeze, flash freeze on a cookie sheet and then transfer to a storage container or resealable plastic bags.
Love it? Pin it!
If you love this White Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti recipe make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!
FAQs about cranberry pistachio biscotti
- What is the secret to good biscotti? To ensure the best biscotti make sure to use room-temperature ingredients, and add lots of add-ins for flavor and texture.
- What is the tradition of biscotti? Because biscotti are hard dry cookies traditionally they are served with a warm drink for dipping.
- Are biscotti healthy for you? Though biscotti may be lower in fat and calories than other cookies they should be considered a treat.
- Why is biscotti so high in calories? The calorie content of biscotti will vary depending on the ingredients and what you add to the recipe. For example, if you’ve added loads of chocolate chips the biscotti will have more calories than if you prepared them plain.
- Where is biscotti from? Biscotti originated in Prato, Italy.
Substitutions
Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!
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Use dried sour cherries, or raisins instead of cranberries.
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Prefer traditional almonds over pistachios? It’s so easy to change the nuts you use or omit them entirely.
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Melt dark chocolate chips to dip the outside in instead of white chocolate – or add chunks of dark chocolate to the inside.
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Dip the whole cookie in melted chocolate for even more decadence.
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Sprinkle the biscotti with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to sweeten them up a bit more.
Tips & Tricks
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Feel free to use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugars so they get nice and fluffy. Or pull out your food processor to prepare these biscotti cookies.
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Add a touch of lemon zest or orange zest for more flavor.
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Melt the chocolate on top of a double boiler so it doesn’t scorch.
More Recipes to Love
Loaded with the best holiday biscotti flavors, this recipe is a good alternative to traditional biscotti and a must this season.
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Holiday Biscotti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup pistachios chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chopped
- Optional Topping: 2 ounces white chocolate melted additional pistachios, chopped
Instructions
- Line the baking sheet with parchment and preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Beat together butter, brown, and white sugar until fluffy.
- Add in eggs, vanilla, and almond extract until combined.
- Sift in flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until just combined.
- Mix in cranberries, white chocolate, and pistachios.
- Add dough to the prepared bake sheet and shape it into an 8x4” log.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and dry. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Cut into 3⁄4” slices using a very sharp knife.
- Decrease oven temperature to 275 F and bake for another 10-15 minutes until completely dry. Make sure the biscotti doesn’t brown any further at this point. Your goal here is to essentially “dry them out”.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
I love biscotti! These look so festive. Can’t wait to try the recipe.
These were the most cozy little treat to make this December!
This biscotti turned out so well!! It had the best texture, was perfectly crispy, and the cranberries and white chocolate paired so well together!
I just love making my own homemade biscotti! 🙂 This is the perfect flavor combo for the holidays.
This holiday biscotti is a real treat. Dipping it in the white chocolate and pistachios is such an elegant touch, too!
I can attest that this was an all-around food! It’s great for breakfast, snacks, appetizers, or even a holiday gift to family and friends!
I love biscotti and was always afraid the I couldn’t make it, but you came to the rescue! Now I will be making it all the time!
recipe calls for eggs which means more than 1 and also is it baking powder or baking soda?
I am a little confused. Both the ingredient list and the printable recipe card list one egg and baking powder?