Fruity Christmas biscotti

Fruity Christmas biscotti

The perfect make-ahead gift, these will keep for up to a month after baking and look really impressive

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes about 72 biscuits

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr

Freezable

Can be frozen part-baked and sliced

Method

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

PER BISCUIT

50 kcalories, protein 1g, carbohydrate 9g, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 0g, sugar 6g, salt 0.06 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 121-140

  • Binder photo clairesp

    19 December 2011

    clairesp rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Look impressive and easy to make. Taste great, particularly when dunked in a glass of Marsala. Couldn't find dried cherries so I used dried apricots which worked well.

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  • Binder photo Sheila

    19 December 2011

    Sheila rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Have never done biscotti before and not being a great cook/baker...this is really fool proof! The steps look tedious but is not really and the results are really amazing biscotti! I won't be buying anymore biscotti from the shops anymore!

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  • Binder photo saratres

    20 December 2011

    saratres rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is the third year I've made these and they never fail me. They are easy to make and it smells like Christmas is really here. I have tried all sorts of different combinations of fruit and nuts and they all work, so it's a good recipe for using up bits that you have left in the cupboard. Mine never need the whole of the second bake, 5 mins is enough in my oven otherwise you'd break your teeth on them.

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  • Binder photo Tracy Mclennan

    21 December 2011

    Tracy Mclennan rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I love this recipe, regularly make but vary the quantities of fruit and nuts adding in extra ingredients that I have in the store cupboard as I feel like it. I add a little bit of fresh orange juice to the mix when I make the dough and it makes it taste really fresh when its baked.

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  • Binder photo fairyprincesska

    22 December 2011

    fairyprincesska commented on this recipe

    I had to swap the golden caster sugar for normal caster sugar; someone else said this didn't make a difference, but I found that they taste far too sweet. The biscotti look exactly like the picture above, and the recipe was easy to follow, but i can almost taste the sugar in them, I have a sweet tooth, but they're too sweet for me:-(

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  • Binder photo jo62

    23 December 2011

    jo62 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made these with dried sweetened cranberries as i couldn't find dried cherries. They look lovely and are very tasty. Will definiteley make again.

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  • Binder photo Mel

    24 December 2011

    Mel rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I omitted the fruit and replaced with roughly chopped, unsalted mixed nuts; I also added a glug of good quality vanilla extract and Valencia Orange extract (Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range). They smell and taste delicious, I will definitely make these again as they are so easy and look and taste authentic.

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  • Binder photo Denbysue

    24 December 2011

    Denbysue commented on this recipe

    Decided to make these this afternoon, very successful and delicious. Also used cranberries instead of the cherries and didn't include the almonds but added extra cranberries and raisins. Next year I will make earlier and present them in bags to give out to friends.

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  • Binder photo ElsaB

    27 December 2011

    ElsaB rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Easy to make and everyone loved them. I used sour cherries as that is all i could find, they added a nice zing to the biscuits. I will be making these again!

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  • Binder photo ElsaB

    27 December 2011

    ElsaB commented on this recipe

    Easy to make and everyone loved them. I used sour cherries as that is all i could find, they added a nice zing to the biscuits. I will be making these again!

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  • Binder photo Moonie Gray

    28 December 2011

    Moonie Gray rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made a couple of batches over Christmas, some for us and some for prezzies.. went down a storm.

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  • Binder photo Caroline

    28 January 2012

    Caroline rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Try soaking the raisins in amaretto - absolutely deliciuos

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  • Binder photo Annie

    13 February 2012

    Annie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really good recipe, easy to do but I always find I need extra flour else the mixture is just too sticky. I also add extra fruit, about 100g - mixture of dried cranberries and cherries and double the amount of mixed spice. I toast the almonds whole too before adding them to the mixture and it adds a lovely roasted-nut flavour and have a better bite. They're very popular and a satisfying bake! A good recipe to mess around with too and try your own spin on using different ingredients, I'm going to try a mixed nut one next.

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  • Binder photo Kath

    16 March 2012

    Kath rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Mo

    28 September 2012

    Mo rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I first made this recipe 3 years ago as an alternative Christmassy rusk for my grandson. I have acquired two more grand-children since then and the recipe has now become a family favourite at Christmas. The adults seem equally fond of these delicious biscuits and sometimes we eat them the italian way by dunking them in a sweet wine like sherry. Utterly scrumptious!!

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  • Binder photo Alex

    04 November 2012

    Alex commented on this recipe

    Fab recipe, tasted gorgeous. Made the house smell all Christmassy too!

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  • Binder photo suzlovescake

    16 November 2012

    suzlovescake rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I also used cranberries in this recipe rather than cherries as some have suggested - it made for a more Christmasy feel to the recipe. It seemed quite strange at first as the dough was very sticky and I thought there was no way it would come together but it did in the end so rest assured! Very tasty and think these will become a regular at home as they keep for so long.

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  • Binder photo CornishPinky

    22 November 2012

    CornishPinky commented on this recipe

    Made these last Christmas as gifts, went down so well think I'll have to do them every year now!

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  • Binder photo hrgoddess

    25 November 2012

    hrgoddess rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    How come the recipe doesn't call for butter or oil? I've made biscottis before and have always used some kind of fat. I tried making this recipe as stated and it was so awfully dry and rather than toss it in the bin, I added 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the dough. Much better! Hasn't anyone else wondered why there is not fat in this recipe?

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  • Binder photo caveywavey

    27 November 2012

    caveywavey rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really easy recipe...I didn't have all the relevant fruit/nuts in the right combination but did have a bag of mixed dried fruit and nuts from the supermarket and it came out a treat!

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes about 72 biscuits

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr

Freezable

Can be frozen part-baked and sliced

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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PER BISCUIT

50 kcalories, protein 1g, carbohydrate 9g, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 0g, sugar 6g, salt 0.06 g

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