Cookies, Desserts, Vegetarian

Dried Cherry and Pistachio Biscotti

by Lynda Balslev

~ Dried Cherry and Pistachio Biscotti ~

In my never-ending quest to create new recipes to please my family and my readers, I rarely follow a published recipe to a “t”.  Instead I create, tweak and spin recipes to my taste, reading cookbooks and magazines for inspiration then casting them aside while I let my thoughts simmer and stew until a wisp of the season, a sudden craving or an irresistable market item presents itself as motivation. Except for these biscotti.

This recipe is nearly a direct re-production of a recipe from Bon Appetit. It follows the recipe almost to the “t”, and then a change I made was not my idea at all, but the idea of my friend, Pam, who brought these cookies to our annual Summer Solstice beach barbecue this summer. I knew I was in trouble when I found myself walking around the beach munching on 2 fistfuls of these cookies before we even started grilling.

These biscotti have everything that I like in a cookie: fruit, nuts, a restrained sweetness, and the perfume from orange zest. Pam’s idea was not to fully bake them to enamel-cracking crispness. Instead they were baked to a wonderful crumbly perfection, which begged for more tasting without breaking my teeth, enabling further eating – to which I happily complied.

~
Dried Cherry and Pistachio Biscotti
recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Makes  approximately 30 biscotti

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Zest from one orange
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios

Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the first 6 ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle. Blend on low speed, 30 seconds. Whisk eggs, oil, zest, vanilla and almond extracts together in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the flour. Beat on medium speed until combined, 1 minute. Stir in cherries and pistachios.
Divide dough in half. Shape each dough half into a 16 inch log. Arrange on a baking sheet, spaced 5 inches apart. Flatten each log into a 2 inch wide strip. Bake until golden brown and set, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a rack. Cool 15 minutes.
Reduce oven to 250 F. (125 C.)  Transfer biscotti to a cutting board. Cut in 3/4 inch strips with a serrated knife. Return biscotti to the baking sheet and arrange cut side down. Bake until firm and golden, 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on racks.
Biscotti may be made up to 3 days in advance. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

23 thoughts on “Dried Cherry and Pistachio Biscotti”

  1. When I first saw this post I said to myself, ‘I’ve made something just like that from Bon Appetit!’

    Seems we are on the same wavelength and I agree…these are great just the way they are. I do bake them to the teeth crunching stage but always serve them with coffee for dipping. I should try this for my non coffee drinking friends!

    I’ve drizzled them with white chocolate too. Because I give them as gifts. They REALLY are good!

  2. OK, I’m going to give biscotti one more chance – my have always turned out poorly – because I trust you in the kitchen, Lynda 😉

  3. Never made biscotti, my husband loves them, I am a bit over the fence – when they are too crunchy, which I guess it’s their real nature, I tend not to like them very much

    but these ones you made join all the right flavors, and I bet I would love to have a few right now 😉

  5. I am loving the new BA these days, and saw this one too! I can’t eat nuts, but I’m thinking of subbing the pistachios with chocolate chips. Do you think that would work? I like the idea of pulling them from the oven too so they’re not quite as crunchy. And love, love the photo!!

  8. I’m getting more daring about creating my own recipes, but when I stumble across one that is already so close to perfect, I adapt very little as well. These look divine! I love the idea of leaving them just a tad chewy.

  10. I made biscotti for the first time this past winter and was shocked at how easy they were to do! I am going to save this recipe to try for sure.

  11. What a lovely gift idea for holidays..these biscotti look perfect to go along my tea each evening. I m trying soon!

  12. Wow , I have the sour cherries and the pistachios right now…… what a treat. This recipe is very unusual for a biscotti because it has rolled oats…… and even better reason to make it causes I have them too. I really want to see how these turn out….. good idea about leaving them a bit softer. Thanks

  15. Sounds like you loved these as much as I did, Lynda. I must say that they look infinitely more appetizing in your photographs than they did in mine, you are such a talent behind the camera. Well done! – S

  17. Your biscotti looks delicious. I love the combination of flavors. These would be a great gift come holiday time. Just wrap them in some cellophane and you’re good to go. 🙂

  18. I have to agree with Oui Chef and Caroline.. they look perfect for holiday gift cookies 🙂 (It’s sad that I’m already thinking about Christmas!)

  19. They sound just wonderful. My mother-in-laws biscotti sound like yours. Delicious and not as hard as most. They were the favorite of our whole family.

  22. Great blog..really enjoying it…try fiathome.blogspot.com or Google Fi’s Kitchen..some ideas form downunder!
    Keep up the good work

  23. Pingback: Orange, Chocolate and Almond Biscotti | TasteFood

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