These Orange Cranberry Biscotti will definitely impress your guests during the holiday season. Fruity, citrusy, and perfect for dunking in warm winter beverages!
Nothing beats a warm winter beverage on a cold day! And these Orange Cranberry Biscotti are the perfect dunking companion! Loaded with dry cranberries and orange flavors, these biscotti will impress your guests during the winter months, and fill your kitchen with citrus aroma.
And you don't have to worry about preparing things on the day; these cranberry orange biscotti are the perfect make-ahead treat as they keep well for several days. So if you're looking for a simple, crunchy, winter-themed recipe, these Biscotti are definitely worth a try!
Making biscotti or cantucci requires a few basic pantry ingredients, and less than 2 hours of your time. These orange cranberry biscotti are made using dried cranberries, orange zest, and orange juice and can be dipped in melted chocolate for a chocolate boost!
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Ingredients and Variations
Orange Zest and Juice - You'll need a dash of fresh orange juice as well as orange zest for these biscotti. One orange is enough, unless you want extra zest for the topping. It's easier if you zest the oranges before juicing them. Navel oranges are my preferred type of oranges to use for this recipe (refer to FAQ section).
Cranberries - Cranberries pair beautifully with orange flavors, especially for holiday-themed recipes. You'll need to use dried cranberries for these biscotti. Alternatively, you can also use raisins or sultanas.
Flour - All-purpose flour is perfect for cantucci. Ideally, weigh ingredients such as flour using digital kitchen scales for accuracy.
Eggs - You will need 3 medium-sized eggs.
Sugar - Granulated sugar works best for biscotti.
Baking Powder - leavening agent.
Salt - to balance the sweetness.
Other fillings - I did not include other filling ingredients for these biscotti. Traditionally, biscotti contain coarsely crushed nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, pistachio, or pecans). Feel free to add these to your liking.
Chocolate coating - For the optional chocolate coating, you will need your favourite chocolate (dark, white, or milk chocolate - I used dark chocolate), some coconut oil, and extra orange zest!
How to Make Orange Cranberry Biscotti
- Make the Dough
To make the dough, place sugar in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a handheld mixer). Add eggs, one by one, and mix well (1-2 minutes) after each addition. Add orange juice and zest and mix for another 30 seconds. Add the remaining sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) and mix until just combined. Fold in dried cranberries (and other ingredients, such as nuts, if using) using a spatula. The dough should be thick. - Chill the Dough
Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight). In the meantime, preheat the oven to 165°C (325F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. - Form into Log and First Bake
Divide the dough into two portions. Form each piece of dough into a log/roll onto the baking sheet with parchment paper.
Note: You might need to dust the top of the dough lightly with flour to prevent it from sticking when forming into a log.
Bake in a preheated oven for 35 minutes. The logs should be lightly golden brown. - Cool and Slice
Allow the logs to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then, place the logs onto a cutting board and slice them using a sharp/serrated knife into ½-¾ inch thick biscotti.
Note: Biscotti can be sliced straight or diagonally. - Second Bake
Transfer sliced biscotti (sliced size facing up) back onto baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for another 15-25 minutes (same oven temperature) until the biscotti have dried and the edges are golden brown.
Note: Biscotti will be soft when out of the oven. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing. Biscotti will harden as they cool. - Glaze and Serve
Once the biscotti have cooled, dip in melted chocolate and allow to set.
Note: Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl or cup. Stir in coconut oil until smooth. Dip the biscotti in melted chocolate and transfer to a wire rack. Top with orange zest (optional) and chill until chocolate has set.
Tips for the Best Biscotti
- Add eggs one by one and beat well after each addition (around 1-2 minutes on medium speed).
- Do not skip the chilling step!
- Weigh your flour using digital kitchen scales for accuracy.
- If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle some flour before forming into a log.
- For longer biscotti, slice the logs in a diagonal manner. For shorter ones, slice straight across.
- You can add your favourite nuts, such as almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts (coarsely crushed) to the biscotti dough mixture. Just fold them in with the dried cranberries!
FAQs
Biscotti are perfect to batch bake and make ahead. Make sure biscotti are completely cooled and store in a glass jar at room temperature. These will keep well for 7 to 10 days.
The biscotti dough can also be made ahead and chilled overnight. Alternatively, you can shape the dough into a log and freeze (in a freezer-safe bag) for up to 3 months.
After the first bake, biscotti logs should be firm on the outside and lightly golden.
The second baking is what makes biscotti hard and dry. The edges should be golden brown. If you prefer softer biscotti, you can bake them for less time. However, to be perfect for dunking, biscotti should be baked enough until crunchy. Although they may feel soft when straight out of the oven, biscotti will harden as they cool (just like traditional cookies).
The best oranges for these biscotti are navel-type oranges which are sweet, fragrant, have a thin healthy skin, and lots of juice.
Oranges with thicker skins typically have less juice and these should be avoided.
Apart from regular oranges, this recipe can also be made using mandarines or blood oranges.
Other Biscotti Recipes
Orange Cranberry Biscotti
Ingredients
Orange Cranberry Biscotti
- 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup
- 3 medium-sized eggs
- 1 tbsp. orange juice
- zest of one orange
- 300 g all-purpose flour 2 cups
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 120 g dried cranberries
Chocolate Covering
- 150 g dark chocolate or white chocolate
- 1 tsp. coconut oil
- 1 tbsp. orange zest optional
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift and mix flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- Place sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with with paddle attachment. Add eggs, one by one, and mix on medium speed after each addition.
- Add orange juuice and zest and mix for another 30 seconds.
- Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until just combined. Dough should be thick and sticky. Fold dried cranberries using a spatula.
- Cover and chill dough for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 165°C (325F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop half the dough mixture onto one side of the lined baking sheet. Form the dough in the shape of a log. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with some flour until manageable. Repeat with the remaining mixture to form an equal-sized log on the other side of the baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 35 minutes (until lightly golden). Bring out of the oven and allow to cool for around 10-15 minutes.
- Place baked logs onto a cutting board. Slice the logs in a sawing motion (straight or diagonally) into ½-¾ inch thick biscotti.
- Transfer the sliced biscotti, sliced side up, back onto lined baking sheet. Bake for another 15-25 minutes until dried and centers are slightly golden brown.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing. Biscotti will harden as they cool.
- To make the topping: melt chocolate in a microwave safe cup. Stir in coconut oil until smooth. Dip biscotti in melted chocolate and transfer to a wire rack. Top with orange zest (optional) and chill until chocolate has set.
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