Recipe: Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti

I love homemade cranberry and pistachio biscotti, it’s so much nicer than the ones you can pick up in the supermarket. This is a Nigella biscotti recipe and is in Nigellissima: Instant Italian Inspiration (which by the way has a fabulous Italian Christmas section).

They’re also a great idea for easy homemade gifts.

Recipe: Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti

Makes:  15
Preparation time:  10 minutes
Cooking time:  45 minutes

You will need:
1 egg
75g caster sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated
Orange zest
125g plain flour, plus more for rolling
1⁄2 tsp baking powder
Fresh nutmeg
75g pistachio nuts
50g dried cranberries

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / gas mark 4.
2. Whisk the egg and sugar until pale and moussy: the mixture should leave a ribbon-like trail when you lift the beater. Beat in the orange zest, and then slowly fold in the flour, baking powder and a good grating of nutmeg.
3. Fold in the whole pistachios and dried cranberries, then flour your work surface well, and you may find it helpful to dust your hands lightly with flour, too, as the dough is quite sticky. Now form the dough into a flattish, oval ciabatta-like loaf, approx. 25 x 5 centimetres, tapering the ends slightly.
4. Lay the biscotti dough loaf onto a piece of baking parchment on a baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until it is a pale brown colour. It may help to rotate the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time, as the base can brown quickly; this reduces the risk of the base scorching at one end.
5. Transfer to a wire rack and leave for 5 minutes to harden slightly, and then – using a bread knife or similar stout serrated-edged knife – cut the baked loaf diagonally into fingers about one centimetre thick.
6.Put these back onto the baking-parchment-covered sheet and cook again for another 10 minutes, then turn the biscotti over and cook for yet another five minutes. Let the goldenbrown biscotti cool on a rack and then store them in an airtight container.