Divas on a Dime: Holiday Biscotti
By Patti Diamond
Holiday Biscotti: Beautiful, Giftable and Surprisingly Simple
If the holiday season had a signature cookie, biscotti wouldn't be it. However, it would be this cookie's elegant cousin who shows up beautifully dressed, stays cheerful for weeks and never crumbles under pressure. These crisp Italian cookies are made for gifting, packing, mailing, dunking and showing off, all while looking like you spent far more effort than you did.
A little holiday sparkle in every crunchy, dunkable cookie. PHOTO CREDIT: www.JasonCoblentz.com
They're sturdy enough to ship across the country, pretty enough for a cookie plate and wonderfully adaptable. Once you have the simple base recipe, you can flavor them in many ways. Tuck a few into a basket with some coffee or tea, a pretty tea towel and a thrifted mug, and you've got a gift that feels thoughtful and homemade without breaking the bank.
This year, I'm sharing my base biscotti recipe plus several festive variations, each one perfect for adding a little sparkle to your holiday baking.
HOLIDAY BISCOTTI
Yield: 20-24 servings
Total Time: 55 minutes + cooling
For the base dough:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 to 2 teaspoons extract (see flavor variations)
2 cups all-purpose flour, or half all-purpose + half whole wheat
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add-ins as per flavor variation
Heat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and extract; mix well. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to wet mixture until combined. Stir in flavor add-ins, if using.
Divide dough in half. Shape into two 8-inch logs and flatten to 3/4 inch thick. Wet hands help if dough is sticky. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and firm to the touch. Cool on the pan for 15 minutes.
Slice logs diagonally into 3/4-inch slices. Lay cut side up on the sheet and bake 12-16 minutes, until dry. Cool completely.
Flavor Variations
Classic Vanilla-Almond: 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla + 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Add 3/4 cup sliced almonds.
Cherry-Almond (pictured): 1 teaspoon almond + 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 1/2 cup dried cherries, 1/2 cup sliced almonds. Sprinkle tops with decorating sugar before baking.
Triple Chocolate: 1 teaspoon vanilla, reduce flour by 1/4 cup, add 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips + 1/2 cup nuts of choice. Dip in chocolate.
Cranberry-Orange-Pistachio: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1 teaspoon orange extract Add-ins: 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup chopped pistachios and zest of an orange. Dip ends in white chocolate and sprinkle with more orange zest.
Dark Chocolate-Orange-Hazelnut (pictured): Add 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1 teaspoon orange extracts. Add-ins: 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips and zest of an orange. Dip the ends in dark chocolate and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
Peppermint Mocha (pictured): Add 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1 teaspoon peppermint. Reduce flour by 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. Dip one side in chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Ginger Spice (pictured): Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add-ins: 2 teaspoons ginger + 2 teaspoons cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon cloves + 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger. Optional: Drizzle with glaze made from powdered sugar + maple syrup.
Whichever flavor you choose, biscotti are the kind of homemade gifts that feel thoughtful without demanding hours in the kitchen. Bake a batch, share with friends and enjoy a little holiday magic.
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Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime -- Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com
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