Cranberry Orange Biscotti

This is a perfect treat to make any ordinary day special!  I make it for Texas Annual Conference staff each year as we gather for the business of the church.  It is so good (and has become a staple at TAC) that people track me down at the hotel to get a few pieces!  The word biscotti roughly translates to twice baked, and these treats are just that.




What you need:
1 1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 Tablespoons margarine

1 ounce orange extract

3 eggs

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons dried, chopped orange peel (I get from Penzey's)

1 cup + Crasins

1 egg plus 1 teaspoon water (beaten together for egg wash)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. 

Combine sugar, baking powder, margarine and eggs.  Blend in the extract, orange peel, then add the flour (one cup at a time).  Last, add the cranberries.  This makes a very sticky dough.  Scrape dough into a long narrow line on a silpat non-stick mat-covered baking sheet.  Wet hands thoroughtly (I keep a bowl of water handy for working the dough).  Work dough with wet hands, smoothing it into two (2) 4"x18" lengths or one (1) 8"x18" length.  Measurements are approximate.  Brush the dough with the egg wash.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove and cool (slide mat with baked dough onto a rack) for 25 minutes.  Carefully take off mat and put dough onto a cutting board.  Slice into 1/2 inch segments.  If you baked one 8" wide batch, you will need to first cut it in half length-wise.  Place these segments onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, one tray at a time.  Remove and cool.  Let air dry for a couple hours before storing in an airtight container.



This isn't a recipe that you can make quickly.  Whether you are making a single or double recipe - plan a minimum of one-and-a-half hours just to get to the final cooling stage. This recipe is great doubled.  Just be aware of timing.  Bake batch 2 while batch 1 is cooling and getting sliced.  Cool batch 2 while batch 1 is having it's second round as slices in the oven.  Good time-management is very helpful when making biscotti but it is truly worth the effort!