Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

I can't think of a better antidote to holiday stress than baking. It's hard for worries to intrude when you're focused on measuring flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and trying to remember where you hid the vanilla. My angst-abatement project earlier this week was to turn out some goodies that might travel 3,000 miles and still be tasty when the recipient--my husband's brother Jez and his family in Atlanta--opened presents on Christmas Day.

As I've discovered, not all cookies are created equal, especially when it comes to long-distance shipping.  An example is one of my favorites, rugelach, a traditional rolled crescent-shaped cookie made of cream cheese dough wrapped around a filling of jam, nuts and chocolate. I usually turn out a batch of these delectable little pastries for Hanukkah, which this year is already a distant memory. Rugelach are never quite as flaky and fresh as the day they're made and definitely do not improve with age, so clearly they're not a candidate for the mail. Biscotti, on the other hand, are hard, dry cookies that, if wrapped well in an air-tight container, seem like they might survive a trip to the moon, that is if a hungry astronaut didn't dig into them first!

A foolproof biscotti recipe that has already become a holiday staple at my house is one I first heard about a year ago on a podcast I often listen to while cooking and baking. The recipe is a little unusual in that instead of butter, it calls for olive oil, though not a large amount. I believe the oil adds a subtle flavor note that blends well with the pistachios, cranberries and vanilla and almond extracts. I dipped or drizzled some of the cookies in melted white chocolate just to add a bit of holiday pizzazz, but other than this, the recipe sticks fairly close to the original. I suggest some other possible variations at the end, but I'm sure the options are limited only by your imagination. Happy stress-free baking!

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

1/4 cup mild extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cups unsifted unbleached flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups unsalted shelled pistachios

Mixing in dried cranberries and pistachios

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick baking spray or cover the bottom with parchment paper (I did the latter, spraying the paper with a bit of oil).

2.  In a large bowl, beat the olive oil and sugar together. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and eggs, beating until the mixture is completely blended.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder with a hand whisk. 

4. On low speed (or by hand), gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.*

5. Carefully fold in the cranberries and pistachios.

6. Divide the dough in half and form into two logs. (The recipe suggests these will be 12 inches long by 2 inches wide. However, mine were about 15 by 3!) Wetting your hands in cool water before shaping makes the process much easier, as the dough does tend to stick otherwise.

Cutting biscotti on a slight diagonal 

7. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning the cookie sheet halfway through the process to make sure the cookies are evenly browning. 

8. Remove from the oven, cool for at least 15 minutes on the cookie sheet. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the cookies at a slight angle into slices that are about 3/4-inch thick.

9. Spread out the cookies on the cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping them midway through. Cookies should be slightly golden on the sides, but not overly brown. After removing from the oven, cool on a wire rack.

Biscotti cooling after second baking

*I did all the prep work for these cookies this by hand, but you could also use a hand or stand mixer. However, adding in the flour mixture should be done with care, making sure not to overwork the dough.

Optional: If dipping the cookies in white chocolate, melt about 6 to 8 ounces of white chocolate chips in a double boiler (or in a pan over another pan with a couple of inches of water in the bottom, as I did), stirring until melted. Add about a teaspoon of canola or other flavorless oil to thin out the chips a bit. Dip cookies into the melted mixture to get the half-dipped look, or drizzle liquid over the cookies in squiggly patterns. Place the cookies on a parchment-covered cookie tray or dish and refrigerate for about a half hour so that the white chocolate will harden.

Biscotto taking a white chocolate dip

More Options:

1. Instead of white chocolate, dip or drizzle in melted semi-sweet chocolate.

2. Substitute dried cherries and chopped, toasted hazelnuts for the cranberries and pistachios. Walnuts and mini chocolate chips would be another winning combination, I think.

3. Add other dried fruit, such as raisins, currants or chopped dried apricots, drop the almond flavoring and add a tablespoon of orange juice and a teaspoon of orange zest.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

With Thanksgiving just a few days off, here's a recipe inspired by a 2005 post for Orange Cranberry Bread from veteran food blogger Nicole Weston, whose class at New School of Cooking encouraged me to keep blogging, even when readers haven't always shown up. I've made a few changes to the recipe, adding walnuts and sherry and switching some of the white flour for wheat. I think Nicole's idea of mixing fresh and dried cranberries makes all the difference, and I might even add more of the dried! The orange zest and fresh orange juice give it a distinct citrus flavor, an excellent complement to other Thanksgiving foods. A loaf of this bread is certain to make an appearance at our Thanksgiving table on Thursday, possibly a variation on the recipe below, as I never like to make anything exactly the same twice!

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

(Adapted from Baking Bites recipe)

About 12 generous servings

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 tablespoon dry sherry

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups whole fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, unthawed)

1/4 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, toasted, plus more for garnish

Mixing cranberries and nuts into the batter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan." 

2. Measure white and whole wheat flour, and put into a large bowl, along with sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together orange juice, zest, sherry, oil and the egg. Mix the two together until combined, but be careful not to over-mix.

3. Gently fold in fresh and dried cranberries and toasted, chopped nuts. Pour into prepared pan and place a few untoasted walnuts on top for decoration.

4. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The top should be a golden brown, but neither pale nor dark. Cool for about 15 minutes in the pan before carefully inverting the bread onto a wire rack. If you can stand it, allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. (Unfortunately, I seldom follow my own advice!)

   

*Note on baking pans: This is such a decorative loaf that you might want to make it for holiday gifts. If you want to divide the batter into smaller loaf pans, you can. I found the recipe filled one 8x4 1/2-inch pan and a second 5 1/2 x3 1/4-inch pan). By my calculations, it should be enough to fill three of the 5 1/2x3 1/4-inch pans if you prefer to make several small loaves.

Nutritional Info (each 3/4-inch slice)

Calories: 220

Fat: 6 grams

Carbs: 39 grams

Fiber: 1.5 grams

Protein 3 grams

Weight Watchers points: 6

Tinkering

1. Although the bread is great as it is, I thought I might add more spice to it next time--perhaps a half teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg and ginger.

2. Speaking of ginger, in memory of my mother, whose pound cake with candied ginger was a staple at our house, I may add a bit of chopped candied ginger, along with the dried and fresh cranberries. 

3. If you want the bread a little less tart, reduce the fresh cranberries to 1 cup and add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries. Because most dried cranberries are slightly sweetened, they do balance the acidity of the fresh berries.

4. To make the bread even sweeter, sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on top, along with chopped nuts.

5. You can ramp the sweetness up even further with a streusel. Mix 1 tablespoon of flour, 3 to 5 tablespoons of brown or white sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Blend together the topping until crumbly with your fingers or a fork and sprinkle over the top of the loaf. Bake as directed. 

Disappearing fast!

Pumpkin Pecan Bread: Less Fat, More Pumpkin

To me, pumpkin bread is the ultimate in comfort food. But, even when I feel the need for comfort, I avoid making it in summer because to me pumpkins mean autumn--even if here in Southern California, temperatures are registering in the 90's. Whatever the thermometer reading, I felt justified in making pumpkin bread this week.

The recipe I chose is adapted from a reduced-fat and calorie pumpkin pecan bread I found at MyRecipes. Here's my version, with nutritional information and suggested variations at the bottom. I used homemade pumpkin puree, which is very simple to make and I think enhanced the bread's flavor and texture. You can read about how I did it elsewhere on my blog. If you're pressed for time (and who isn't?), use the canned variety. It will be great either way!

Pumpkin Bread With Toasted Pecans

(Two 9x5-inch loaves)

Ingredients

2 cups white all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat)

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark or light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup egg whites (from about 4 large eggs, or use egg substitute)

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

2/3 cup water (or liquid from steamed pumpkin)

15 ounces of pumpkin (2 cups fresh pulp minus 1 ounce--or one 15-ounce can)

1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two 9x5-inch loaf pans with oil.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. Whisk the dry ingredients until well-combined.

Place the sugars, oil, egg whites (or substitute) and buttermilk in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer (or by hand) at medium speed until well blended. Add the pumpkin and water, beating at low speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat briefly at low speed, making sure that all ingredients are incorporated but not over-mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle toasted pecans on top.

Bake in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour, checking toward the end to make sure the loaves aren't browning too quickly. If they are, place some foil loosely on top. The bread will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean.

 After Words

Each loaf makes about 12 generous slices. To reduce the calories even further, cut them in half! The bread keeps for 2 or 3 days at room temperature and freezes well (for about a month) when wrapped tightly in a double thickness of saran, then placed inside a deflated plastic bag. Warmed in the microwave for a few seconds, it tastes as if it just popped out of the oven!

Nutritional Info (1 3/4" slice)

Calories: 183

Fat: 6 grams

Carbs: 31 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Protein: 5 grams

Weight Watchers points: 5

Variations & Enhancements

1. Mix toasted, chopped pecans with 2-3 additional tablespoons of brown sugar and about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the loaves before baking.

2. Allergic to nuts? Substitute lightly toasted rolled oats for above.

3. Fold in 1/2 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chopped dried apricots--or 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger--just before pouring the batter into the loaf pans.

4. Use chopped walnuts or mixed nuts instead of the pecans. Incorporate the nuts in the batter, then sprinkle a few more on top.

5. Add the grated zest of an orange to the wet ingredients, substituting orange juice (preferably fresh) for the water.

6. Spread the bread with cream cheese, pumpkin butter--or both--for a decadent treat.

7. Serve heated with a scoop of pumpkin or vanilla ice cream for dessert.