Makes About 2 Dozen Slices
4 Ounces (1 Stick) Butter, Room Temperature
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour
1¼ Cups Cornmeal (Medium to Fine Stone Ground)
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Finely Chopped Pistachios
1 Cup Chopped Dried Cranberries or Dried Cherries
Preheat oven to 375°.
In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients and blend until well combined. Add the chopped pistachios and cranberries (or cherries). Mix well.
Transfer the dough to a parchment lined cookie sheet pan and make two long loaves, each about 3 inches wide, spacing them several inches apart. The dough is extremely soft, almost a stiff-like batter. Flour your hands when making the logs and you will find it much easier to handle the dough.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the tops start to brown and crack just slightly. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.
Turn oven down to 350ºF.
Slice the loaves into ½ inch to ¾ inch slices and lay cut side down onto an unlined cookie sheet pan. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes: turn slices over and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes or until the slices have firmed up and are toasted. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
Biscotti will keep in an airtight container for at least a month. (These slices are so good that the most likely be eaten in a day or two).
Hints and Tips: When I baked the logs side-by-side with a few inches of separation, they spread out and touched each other. At first I thought this was a problem but it turned out to be exactly what should happen. When I took them out of the oven after the first baking I ran a knife done the middle to separate the two loaves. The touching loaves once separated had no effect on the cutting of the slices.
Chopping the pistachios very finely makes it easier to slice the biscotti. When slicing use a sharp serrated knife. The biscotti are warm when sliced so be diligent when slicing or they will fall apart. This is the trickiest part of the recipe.
