Pistachio And Cranberry Biscotti

Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

These green and red studded biscotti are a holiday tradition at my house. They go great with a cup of coffee in the morning.

Ingredients:

2¼ cups all purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon whole aniseed
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
¾ cup shelled natural unsalted pistachios

Directions
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Cream together butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
Mix in lemon peel, vanilla and aniseed. Beat in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in cranberries and pistachios (dough will be sticky).

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gather dough together; divide in half. Roll each half into 10-inch-long log and flatten to about 3 inches wide. Carefully transfer logs to one of the prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake logs until almost firm to touch but still pale, about 28 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Carefully transfer logs still on parchment to cutting board. Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Place slices, 1 cut side down, on remaining 2 prepared sheets. 

Bake until firm and pale golden, about 12 to 15 minutes per side. Transfer cookies to racks and cool. Makes about 30 biscotti.                                                                                                                                                                   

Rose-Pistachio Cookies ~ Vegan

Rose-Pistachio Cookies ~ Vegan

These floral, flavorful “goddess cookies” are a vegan delight

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (80g) vegan brown sugar

1 cup (198g) vegan granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (85g) vegan butter, softened*
1/4 cup (57g) vegan cream cheese*
6 tablespoons (74g) vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon rose extract*
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (58g) oat flour
2 cups + 3 tablespoons (263g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon crushed dried rose flowers and/or buds for tea*
1/2 cup (60g) roasted unsalted pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup (71g) tart dried cherries, roughly chopped
1/3 cup (57g) vegan white chocolate, chopped*
1 to 4 teaspoons plant-based milk, if needed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

Beat together the sugars, butter, and cream cheese until smooth.

Add the oil and extracts and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, mixing until just combined.

Mix in the crushed rose, pistachios, cherries, and white chocolate. If the dough doesn't come together, add 1 teaspoon plant-based milk at a time, until the dough is cohesive.

Scoop 2” balls of dough (approximately two tablespoons; a level jumbo cookie scoop works well here) and place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies until set, about 15 to 17 minutes, reversing the pans halfway through (top rack to bottom, bottom to top).

Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Store cookies, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Tips:
If desired, substitute 1/2 teaspoon rose water + 1 tablespoon chopped dried rose petals for the rose extract and rose petal tea.

Cookies baked as directed above will be 2 1/2” to 2 3/4" in diameter. For larger, flatter cookies (about 3” in diameter), flatten the dough balls gently with the palm of your hand before baking.