Pecan Nut & Cranberry Biscotti

In Italy, originating in the city of Prato, Tuscany, biscotti is a “biscuit” that usually contains almonds or some form of nut, whether in the form of flour or as a whole. Technically referred to as a “cookie”, biscotti is far removed from my idea of a cookie. For one, it is never baked as separate rolled or pressed cookies, but rather in oblong-shaped logs which are then cut cross-wise. Secondly, because biscotti is dried out and with the use of coarser flour and nuts, texture-wise it is very different from that of a cookie and, dare I say it, leans towards that of fine rusks.

That said, with its crunchy, yet crumbly texture, its subtle toasted flavour and luxurious flavourings, Biscotti really is absolute luxury when it comes to tea-time cookies and baked treats.

Over the years I’ve made numerous batches of different flavoured Biscotti and the permutations of possible ingredients and flavours are endless. Use whatever you have on hand and experiment with different combinations. Some possible additions include pistachios, hazelnuts, lemon -and orange zest, rosemary, white chocolate buttons, cinnamon, nutmeg, coffee and amaretto, to name a few.

Recipe by Chef Adri du Preez-Nel.

Photography by Stéan Kruger Photography.

Pecan Nut & Cranberry Biscotti

In Italy, originating in the city of Prato, Tuscany, biscotti is a "biscuit" that usually contains almonds or some form of nut, whether in the form of flour or as a whole. Technically referred to as a "cookie", biscotti is far removed from my idea of a cookie. For one, it is never baked as separate rolled or pressed cookies, but rather in oblong-shaped logs which are then cut cross-wise. Secondly, because biscotti is dried out and with the use of coarser flour and nuts, texture-wise it is very different from that of a cookie and, dare I say it, leans towards that of fine rusks.

That said, with its crunchy, yet crumbly texture, its subtle toasted flavour and luxurious flavourings, Biscotti really is absolute luxury when it comes to tea-time cookies and baked treats.

Over the years I've made numerous batches of different flavoured Biscotti and the permutations of possible ingredients and flavours are endless. Use whatever you have on hand and experiment with different combinations. Some possible additions include pistachios, hazelnuts, lemon -and orange zest, rosemary, white chocolate buttons, cinnamon, nutmeg, coffee and amaretto, to name a few.

Recipe by Chef Adri du Preez-Nel.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Drying Out 10 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course Baked

Cuisine Italian

Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

  

• 2½ cup all purpose flour sieved
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup pecan nuts or almonds roughly chopped
• ½ cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 4 egg
• 5 ml almond extract or vanilla

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a baking sheet with butter.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Fold in the almonds and cranberries.
• Whisk together the eggs, sugar and almond extract until light and golden. Combine with the dry ingrediets. Gently knead until combined. I use a stand mixer for this. Do not over knead.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal size pieces and work into oblong-shaped logs of roughly 8 cm in diameter. Place on the greased baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly toasted. Check if a testing pin comes out clean when sticked into the middle.
• Using a sharp knife and while still hot, cut each log cross-wise into slices of roughly 1 cm thick. Lower the oven temperature to 140°C. Return to the baking sheet and allow to dry for 10-12 minutes per side in the oven. The biscotti should have a light golden colour and be completely dried out.

Notes

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Stéan Kruger Photography & The Photographer's Blog: https://linktr.ee/Stean_Kruger

Keyword biscotti, cranberries, pecan nuts