Harvest Biscotti Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.
• Form the dough into a 13-inch-long, 3-inch-wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
• Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.
• The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in re-sealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

Steps:

• Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add sweet potato and vanilla; beat until blended.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead in pecans. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each portion into a 10" x 6" log on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to a wire rack, and cool to the touch. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
• Cut each log crosswise into 1/2"-thick slices with a serrated knife. Place slices, cut side down, on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 325° for 15 minutes; turn slices over and bake 15 more minutes. Turn slices upright, and return to oven. Turn oven off, and leave in oven 15 minutes or until dry. Cool completely on wire racks.
• Note: You can sweeten the flavor or change the length of this biscotti.
• For a sweeter treat, dip biscotti in vanilla-flavored candy coating. Here's how: Melt coating, 8 ounces at a time, in an 11" x 7" baking dish in the microwave according to the package directions. Dip each biscotti, cut side down, into melted coating. Place biscotti, dipped side up, on wax paper until coating is hardened.
• For long biscotti, carefully cut each log lengthwise into 1/2"-thick slices after the first baking. Yield: 1 1/2 dozen.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Position rack in center of oven. With a small knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and place in a small bowl. Add the sugar and use your fingers to mix the vanilla evenly into the sugar. Set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Add the vanilla sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and almonds and stir into the butter mixture.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, shape each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Place the logs on the baking sheet, spacing them as far apart as possible. Bake in the center of the oven until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
• Place the logs on a cutting board and let them cool slightly. With a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Place on the baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes, turning once. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.