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Big Black Dog: Holiday Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios and a Christmas Cloche Party

December 4, 2009

Holiday Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios and a Christmas Cloche Party






Well here I am with my fourth recipe for 12-Days of Christmas Cookies Extravaganza and I decided to make the Holiday Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios. I keep at least one cake plate with dome on the island in my kitchen and it's always full of goodies. I noticed that anyone entering my kitchen was always looking around to see what was available to eat and so I thought I'd just make it easy for them! And here's all my cookies decked out for Christmas.



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I have to admit I'm not a Biscotti lover, in fact I've only made it once before and as I remember I was just married so that will give a hint how long ago it was. It's not that Biscotti tastes bad, it's just that I prefer soft, cake-like cookies. But this Biscotti was so Christmasy with the white chocolate, red cranberries and green Pistachios, I just could not resist making it and Mr. Tastebuds loved it!



I only made a few changes to the recipe. I used Vanilla Almond Bark instead of White Chocolate and I sprinkled the Bark with a little coarse sugar to give it some Christmas sparkle!


I also made a trip to the Dollar Store...don't you just love that place! And I picked up the cutest stuff to dazzle up my Christmas Cookie photos! I bought a roll of red felt snowflakes, big red and green lollipops, miniature ornaments, teeny tiny garlands and I even bought a bag of Christmas M&Ms to sprinkle around my light tent!



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Holiday Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit's Holiday Cookie-a-Day Collection

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon whole aniseed
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
3/4 cup shelled natural unsalted pistachios

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend well. 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 15-inch-long log (about 1 1/4 inches wide). Carefully transfer logs to 1 prepared baking sheet, 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 generous 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place slices, 1 cut side down, on remaining 2 prepared sheets. Bake until firm and pale golden, about 9 minutes per side. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

Line another baking sheet with waxed paper. Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water just until smooth. Remove from over water. Dip 1 end of each cookie into melted chocolate, tilting pan if necessary; shake off excess chocolate. Place cookies on prepared sheet. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)



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The Holiday Cloche Party is the brilliant idea of Marty of A Stroll Through Life Please visit Marty's blog and see some wonderful creative ideas for the Holidays all freely shared by many generous people.



Please visit the rest of our 12-DaysofCookies Crew and see what they've baked today!

Andrea of Andrea's Recipes.(honorary member and our founder but not participating this year)
Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen
Courtney of Coco Cooks <--Glamorous Courtney
Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity<--Sweet Kelly
Michelle of BigBlackDog <--Hey that's ME!
RJ of Flamingo Musings <--Feathered Friend Renee
Sandy of At the Baker's Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project




All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog



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21 Comments:

Anonymous Knittykim said...

oooh, yum! will be visiting the 12 days cohorts for other ideas. i've got to get baking this weekend... stay warm!

December 4, 2009 at 6:58 AM  
Blogger Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

These cookies look fantastic. I love biscotti and don't have a recipe like it. I want to take something special to visit a dear friend next week, and this is it! I will wrap it in a pretty mug and add a couple of "chocolate spoons". Thank you for this delicious cloche party entry!
Yvonne

December 4, 2009 at 7:25 AM  
Anonymous Kayte said...

Those are beautiful biscotti! Mark loves biscotti...he loves dunking them in coffee. I always have a covered cake stand full of goodies on the counter as well...the boys go through a lot of goodies here and it makes it easy. Love your stand and cover...so pretty!

December 4, 2009 at 8:25 AM  
Blogger The Quintessential Magpie said...

These cookies look FABULOUS. I am trying hard not to be tempted off my spartan eating plan. ;-)

XO,

Sheila :-)

December 4, 2009 at 8:40 AM  
Blogger Allison said...

The pictures on this post are just beautiful! I'm not a huge fan of biscotti, either, but after seeing these pictures, I might have to make a batch, anyway. I'm sure I could find some folks willing to take them off my hands if I don't love them. :)

December 4, 2009 at 8:57 AM  
Blogger YankeeQuilter said...

I love Biscotti...at least homemade ones (the coffee shop variety are just too hard.) When I make them I do not re-bake part of the batch since my husband really likes them soft better and it isn't like they stay around very long....

December 4, 2009 at 9:31 AM  
Blogger Lori E said...

I love Biscotti and make them every year. I have made them for fundraisers at the schools in the past, packaged in lovely cellophane bags and they are always the first thing to sell out.

Instead of dipping in coffee try dipping them into a glass of ever so slightly sweet Italian wine as an after dinner treat. Heavenly, though I do hate the crumbs in my glass.

December 4, 2009 at 11:38 AM  
Blogger Kim @ Starshine Chic said...

I've only ever had the Biscotti from Costco. But your looks and sounds more yummy!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I probably won't ever make it, but then again, I might.

December 4, 2009 at 12:47 PM  
Blogger Kat said...

I am not a biscotti fan. Made my first last year and it was the last to be eaten. I tend to base whether I will make something again or not on how well it was received. (Like the Jelly cake.)
No use wasting time on that, even if it is good.
They do make for good photos, and if the Mr. likes it, well that is enough.

December 4, 2009 at 1:27 PM  
Blogger dee dee said...

What pretty pictures and yummy looking cookies! Dee Dee

December 4, 2009 at 1:57 PM  
Blogger Joanne said...

I am looking for a biscotti to make for a blog event and I think I've just found it! Thanks for this. I love all of the ingredients and, well, anything dipped in white chocolate floats my boat.

December 4, 2009 at 2:43 PM  
Blogger Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

All of your cookies look soooooooo good and the display in the cake dome is just lovely. I think I would probably eat my way through your gorgeous kitchen. Thanks so much for joining the party. Hugs, Marty

December 4, 2009 at 3:37 PM  
Blogger Catherine said...

Michelle these look so beautiful! I love this recipe!

December 4, 2009 at 5:01 PM  
Blogger Fresh Local and Best said...

I've never cooked with aniseed, but it sounds intriguing.

December 4, 2009 at 7:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nothing looks better under a cloche than cookies! Your cookies are beautiful!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

December 4, 2009 at 8:11 PM  
Blogger Di said...

Nice job on the biscotti. I'm looking forward to making these--they look so festive. =)

December 4, 2009 at 9:19 PM  
Blogger Kim said...

I've never made a biscotti before and was thinking of making one for our "twelve weeks of xmas cookies". Love the cranberries and pistachios, so festive.

December 4, 2009 at 9:58 PM  
Blogger TeaLady said...

beautiful cookies. Ilove that you dipped them in chocolate. Extra decadent.

December 4, 2009 at 10:32 PM  
Anonymous kellypea said...

Wow. You scored at the dollar store! Isn't if fun playing with props? Your cookies are gorgeous, and I can't wait to try the biscotti. This weekend for sure ; )

December 5, 2009 at 1:48 AM  
Blogger RJ Flamingo said...

Weren't these wonderful? I think this is my favorite of the recipes, so far - and may stay that way. Your presentation, of course, is to die for. :-)

December 5, 2009 at 12:34 PM  
Anonymous Amanda said...

These look lovely. I really like the look of the dipped white chocolate and sugar crystals. I bet they taste as good as they look.

December 9, 2009 at 5:31 PM  

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