Colorful Biscotti (with Cranberries, Pepitas and Pecans)

I baked this Biscotti a few days back and it was so perfect I immediately decided to add it in the blog. I have to admit that ever since I have started watching ‘The Great British Bake Off’ show on Netflix, baking has been easier and fun. I have seen many baking tips and tricks in the show and they have proved really helpful. For this Biscotti, I used a salad topper mix which I got from Costco but you can also get individuals packets of Cranberries, Pepitas and Pecans and mix them together. For those who don’t know, Pepitas are actually pumpkin seeds so if you are allergic, just skip them. Also, I would recommend to use a serrated knife to cut the Biscotti because it would be easier to slide the knife and cut and there will be less crumble. So, without further ado, let’s bake these yummy Colorful Biscotti.

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil -  2 tablespoons 
• White Sugar -  ¼ cup and 2 tablespoons 
• Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon 
• Almond Extract -  ¼ teaspoon 
• Egg -  1, large
• All-Purpose Flour -  ¾ cup and 2 tablespoons 
• Salt - 1/8 teaspoon (only if the nuts or not salted)
• Baking Powder -  ½ teaspoon 
• Dried Cranberries, Pepitas and Pecans – 1 cup

Photo shows the salad topper mix which I got from Costco and used to prepare this Biscotti.

Directions:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Spray/ grease it lightly with oil.
• In a large bowl, mix together the Olive Oil and Sugar until well blended. 
• Mix in the Vanilla and Almond extracts.
• Beat in the Egg. 
• Combine the All-Purpose Flour, Salt (optional) and Baking Powder in another bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Gradually stir the Flour mixture into the Egg mixture. 
• Mix in the Dried Cranberries, Pepitas and Pecans by hand (use a rubber spatula). 
• Divide the dough in half. 
• Sprinkle a little flour on the kitchen counter and use more to roll the dough.
• Form two logs on the baking sheet (about 7 inches long). Use the bench scrapper to lift and shape the logs. 
• Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. 
• Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F.
• Transfer the loaf to a cutting board and using a serrated bread knife, start cutting the slices. They should not be too thin, about half inch thickness is good. Cut them at an angle or straight.

• Remove the parchment paper.
• Lay on sides directly on the baking sheet. 

• Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry.
• Once out of the oven, turn the sides so that they crisp evenly (The baking sheet will be hot so the other side will absorb the heat and crisp up). 

• Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
• Store in an airtight container and enjoy with tea or coffee.

Serrated Knife:

• An essential tool for trimming and halving cake layers is a long serrated knife. I also use it to cut bread slices or to smoothly cut out Biscotti. 

Bench scraper:

• I use it not only for scraping the extra frosting off the cake but also to divide the bread dough into equal quantities. It can also be used to scrape the biscotti dough from the kitchen counter and evenly press or shape it.

Recommended Reading:

• Basic Kitchen Measurements
• Vanilla Biscotti
• Boozy Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
• It's all about Cranberries‼
• Martha Stewart's Rugelach
• One Dough Different Cookies
• Loaded Nuts Cookies
• Fork Pressed Chocolate Chip Cookies
• My Scrumptious Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Shortbread Cookies with a hint of Carom Seeds