Grandma Vivardo's Favorite Cherry Pistachio Biscotti
My Grandma Vivardo introduced these crunchy biscuits to me when I was a little girl. Her recipe is delicately flavored with anise (which I love), but for the holidays I like a red and green biscuit for dunking in my coffee. And of all my biscotti recipes, my cherry pistachio biscotti are the ones I have to put on my Christmas cookie platter. Of course, they also happen to hold up beautifully packed, so they make for a tasty Christmas cookie gift for friends and family.
Why are Biscotti So Hard? They’re Baked Twice—Perfect for Dunking!
Biscotti are known for being extra hard. That’s because they’re baked twice. The dough is formed into logs and baked at a low temperature until they’re about the consistency and texture of a sugar cookie. They’re then slightly cooled and sliced before being baked a second time to dry them out completely.
They’re perfect for dunking just like that, but while some recipes use butter and others don’t use any fat, for my biscotti recipe, I like to use olive oil to make the biscotti crisp and tender.
What Makes This Biscotti Recipe So Special?
The dried cherry and pistachio add more than just color to biscotti. The chewy dried fruit and the soft pistachio gives you a break between each crunchy bite of cookie. But for a festive touch, I dip these biscuits in white chocolate and sprinkle them with red and green sugar. Plus, they’re so much fun to decorate!
How to Make Biscotti—Tips and Tricks
To avoid cracks on the top of the biscotti loaves, cover them with dish towels after removing them from the oven, as this allows them to cool at a more leisurely pace.
If your New Year’s resolution is to begin or continue your baking journey, then I can’t think of a better place to start than with these complex, satisfying cookies. Plus, they’re so pretty and tasty I hope they’ll serve as a fitting antidote to 2020 and put you in a happier, brighter frame of mind for 2021!
Cherry Pistachio Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1⁄4 cup light olive oil
- 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange or lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 cup dried cherries
- 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 10 ounces white baking chocolate
- 2 teaspoons solid vegetable shortening
- 1⁄2 cup finely chopped pistachios
- Green and red crystallized sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine olive oil and sugar until well blended. Add vanilla and orange or lemon zest. Mix well to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after ingredients are added.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the olive oil mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated. Fold in cherries or cranberries and pistachios.
- Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. Form dough into two logs that are 2-inches wide by 12-inches long. The dough will be sticky. Lightly wet hands with cool water to make shaping the logs easier. Place logs in center of two baking sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for 35 minutes or until logs are light brown on bottom and firm to the touch on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees.
- Transfer logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice on a 45-degree angle into 1⁄2-inch slices. Place slices cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake biscotti for 4 minutes. Turn cookies over and bake for an additional 4 minutes. Transfer biscotti to a cooling rack.
- Melt white chocolate and shortening in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. If using a microwave, process in second intervals, stirring chocolate until completely melted. Be careful not to overheat the white chocolate as it can easily burn. When slightly cooled but still liquid, dunk cookies into the melted chocolate. Place on a cooling rack and sprinkle with colored sugar or finely chopped pistachios. When the chocolate has dried, transfer to an airtight container. Separate layers of biscotti with clean parchment or waxed paper. Store at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
