Fruity Christmas biscotti
Cooking time
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 1 hrSkill level
EasyServings
Makes about 72 biscuitsThe perfect make-ahead gift, these will keep for up to a month after baking and look really impressive
Nutrition and extra info
Additional info
- Can be frozen part-baked and sliced
Nutrition per biscuit
- kcalories
- 50
- protein
- 1g
- carbs
- 9g
- fat
- 1g
- saturates
- 0g
- fibre
- 0g
- sugar
- 6g
- salt
- 0.06g
Ingredients
- 350g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- coarsely grated zest 1 orange
- 85g raisins
- 85g dried cherries
- 50g blanched almonds
- 50g shelled pistachios
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Method
- Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Put the flour, baking powder, spice and sugar in a large bowl, then mix well. Stir in the eggs and zest until the mixture starts forming clumps, then bring the dough together with your hands – it will seem dry at first but keep kneading until no floury patches remain. Add the fruit and nuts, then work them in until evenly distributed.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces. With lightly floured hands, roll each piece into a sausage about 30cm long. Place 2 on each tray, well spaced apart. Bake for 25-30 mins until the dough has risen and spread and feels firm. It should still look pale. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack for a few mins until cool enough to handle, then turn down the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1.
- Using a bread knife, cut into slices about 1cm thick on the diagonal, then lay the slices flat on the baking sheets. The biscuits can be cooled and frozen flat on the sheet at this point, then bagged and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake for another 15 mins (20 mins if from frozen), turn over, then bake again for another 15 mins until dry and golden. Tip onto a wire rack to cool completely, then store in an airtight tin for up to one month, or pack into boxes or cellophane bags if giving as gifts straightaway.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008
Comments, questions and tips
Comments
Easy recipe to follow and turned out just as described. Made as Christmas gifts for family/friends which was loved by all. Loved eating it as the Italians do, dunked in good Italian coffee. Passed on recipe to my sister in law who has adapted it as she doesnt like the fruit in it, but includes almonds. Am doing this recipe again to take a prettily packaged gift for my hostess for a dinner party at the end of the week.
Used 1/2 quantities (remainder of egg used in another recipe) and didn't bother with the orange zest. Used a splash of almond extract instead. Made with a combination of dried cranberries, dates, apricots, glace cherries, pistachios and almonds. Produced 32 pieces. Rock hard as biscotti is supposed to be but absolutely divine dunked in tea.
Try biscotti with pistachio, rosewater and clementine zest... beautiful flavours for biscotti. The recipe is here http://recipesatrandom.com/2013/01/26/pistachio-rosewater-biscotti/.
I find the dried fruit and nuts amounts are too much so cut the amount called for in half as well reducing the sugar somewhat. I add the fruit and nuts after putting in the eggs, along with 2 tbsp of melted butter. Adding the butter makes them crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside (no broken teeth!). I've made them this way 3 or 4 times now and they are a huge hit.
Oh my goodness! I have just made a batch of these to give as presents to friends, family and the children's teachers. They are splendid. Taste beautiful and look really impressive! I had no mixed spice, but simple added a teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon instead. Also had some dried cranberries left over from another recipe, so used them instead of the cherries. GORGEOUS!
I made these in readiness for Christmas gifts. I used pale caster sugar as that's all we had, and glace cherries that I had left over from a different recipe. The end result is still superb!
Very easy to make and very tasty (I obviously didn't know what else to do with the ends of each roll, once I'd sliced them).
Highly recommended!