Lemon Cranberry Biscotti

Christmas came early to The Foodscape in the form of these Lemon Cranberry Biscotti! ❤

Hello, my lovelies! And also, HELLO SEPTEMBER! 😀 It’s my birthday month, ya’ll! And I know you can’t see me, but I’m doing little shimmies as we speak! 😛 Okay, I’m a little too excited about my birthday at almost 24. But birthdays and Christmases are just so so special to me! ❤

I first came across Biscotti when I was watching Gilmore Girls for the first time (I’m on my third rotation; HONESTLY CAN”T GET ENOUGH!). In the episode titled ‘Ballrooms and Biscotti’ (S04, E01), my favourite TV mother-daughter duo return from their amazing adventure backpacking through Europe, only to find themselves backpacking around town distributing souvenirs while snacking on the last bag of biscotti they brought home from their trip.

This episode reminded me of the countless times I’ve looked down at the last bar of chocolate, or the last bite of delicious Omani Halwa that I would bring back after a vacation spent at home. The feeling is bittersweet. You’re happy to have a piece of home brought back with you (even if you plan on ingesting it!); something that reminds you of your travels and the good times; but then this wonderful thing is slowly ebbing away, bite by bite. I may have never sunk my teeth into biscotti before I watched that episode, but man did I know that feeling! 🙂

So, tying up my favourite month, festival and TV show with a delectable proverbial ribbon, I bring you these absolutely gorgeous Lemon Cranberry Biscotti! 😀

This recipe makes 10-12 Biscotti. Here’s what you need…

• Caster Sugar – 1/2 cup
• All Purpose Flour – 1 & 3/4 cups
• Baking Powder – 1 tsp
• Lemon Zest – 1 tbsp
• Juice of 3/4 large lemon
• Lemon/Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
• Vegetable Oil – 1/2 tbsp
• Eggs – 2
• Dried Cranberries – 100g

Here’s how you make this Lemon Cranberry Biscotti of your dreams!

• Preheat your oven to 175 °C/350 °F.
• In a large bowl, mix 1 & 1/2 cups flour, caster sugar and baking powder.
• In another bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon/vanilla extract. Mix well.
• Pour the wet egg and lemon mixture into the dry ingredients. Tip in the dried cranberries and mix. At this point, the dough will be messy and crumbly.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and very gently knead it until it comes together. If the dough is wet and sticky, add flour, little at a time, until it holds its own.
• Shape the dough into a roll and place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten the roll out until it is about 3/4 inch in height.
• Bake the Biscotti for 30 minutes.  At this point, it will have formed a nice, crisp crust. Take it out and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the Biscotti with a little water. (This will soften it a tad, making it easier to cut through.) Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 1 & 1/2 cm wide slices.
• Place the Biscotti back on the cookie sheet, cut side down, and bake for 10 minutes. Take them out, turn them over, and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Once done, pull the Biscotti out and leave to cool completely.

For most of my life, I’ve not been a biscuit/cookie person. It was cake all the way! That’s probably why I kept biscotti at arms length for so long. But my, do I regret it! There’s something about this uniquely textured baked treat that’s just WOW! At first there’s the crunch when you take a bite; almost too hard… ALMOST. And then, immediately it begins melting in your mouth. With every bite it gets better! There are splashes of citrus-y lemon here and chewy, tart cranberries there. And then some more crunch, and more melting. The whole time your brain is going, “WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?!” 😀

My friends, the magic is real. This Lemon Cranberry Biscotti was everything good biscotti should be – twice-baked, dry, crunchy and packed with flavour! It really did cast a spell on us, and I’m thinking, your home is next! Bake up a storm with this divine sweet treat, you will not regret it! ❤

Tip: IF you do have any biscotti remaining (because I assume like my home, there are no baked goodies leftover in your homes either), store them in air tight containers. If your biscotti goes a bit soft the next day, pop them into the oven at 175 °C for 5-8 minutes and they’ll crisp right up! Happy Baking!

For regular updates on what’s happening in The Foodscape kitchen, follow us on Instagram at @thefoodscape! You’ll love all the deliciousness there, I promise! ❤

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