Deliciously dunkable and packed with all things great: dried cranberries, pistachios, and plenty of melted white chocolate.
Golden brown biscotti with toasty pistachios, tart dried cranberries, a happy dose of cinnamon, and all the white chocolate in the world is sitting on my plate right now as I type this. Alongside my favorite pumpkin coffee because pumpkin coffee is a 365 days/year thing here. My hair is in one of those astronomically high buns, my glasses are smudged, and there’s flour all over my sleeves.
MAN it feels good to be home. ♥
We’re already at recipe #7 in my annual cookie palooza! And, my friends, it’s a good one.
It’s been a few months since I made biscotti and it’s everything I’ve been craving for the past week. Absolutely nothing hits the spot quite like the crunchy cookie on my plate, especially when it goes from hand to coffee mug to mouth. Hold on for a sec. Let me just take this bite…
The white chocolate literally melting in my mouth. !!! Where was I?
I don’t make biscotti quite often so when I do, it’s extra special. And it’s just the ticket this week as I settle back into the chaotic routine called my work life. I whipped this batch up yesterday morning and while pistachios and dried cranberries were always part of the biscotti plan– that glorious white chocolate I can’t shut up about was an afterthought. And WHAT an addition it makes.
Have you ever made biscotti before? Let me teach you. I have a couple biscotti recipes on my blog and I shared the first one for chocolate almond biscotti around this time last year. It’s the exact recipe that turned me into a biscotti lover. And today’s wonderful white chocolate cranberry pistachio version (say that 3x fast) uses the same base recipe. Here’s why I know you’ll love it: I make biscotti with ingredients, ratio of those ingredients, and in such a way to get the best possible texture. Crunchy without breaking your teeth. Soft crunchy. Not crispy crunchy. Does that make sense? Like, crumbly without tasting sandy or dry. And when each cookie is dipped into a steamy mug of coffee/tea/hot cocoa? It just melts in your mouth.
Nerdy Biscotti Things
I went over a couple of this science-y stuff in my chocolate almond biscotti recipe last year, but I’m going to go over some of it again in case you missed it. Biscotti’s only wet ingredients are eggs; eggs help the biscotti keep its shape and prevent the biscotti from tasting too dry. Many recipes these days call for butter and/or oil as well. The addition of these fats makes biscotti a little more flavorful. The butter is added the same exact way I add it to scones and pie crust: cold and cut into the dry ingredients. I only use a Tablespoon of oil, but that 1 Tablespoon adds just the right amount of richness.
For some flavor, I use brown sugar instead of white sugar to sweeten the biscotti. Also: a touch of cinnamon and plenty of vanilla. All of these flavors + dried cranberries + pistachios + white chocolate + a warm coffee dunk. Can’t even handle it.
To make biscotti, you have to shape the dough into two slabs. It’s weird. These slabs are baked, then cut into 1-inch slices. The slices are then baked on their sides, about 9 minutes per side. Here’s a visual of what the heck I’m talking about.
Biscotti spends a lot of time in the oven. It has to or else it will taste like semi-softish very crumbly cake. The oven time is what makes biscotti perfectly crunchy. And all this oven time is why we’re using 3 eggs, butter, AND a touch of oil. Prevents the biscotti from completely drying out!
To really give my latest biscotti creation some flavor and jazz, I channeled my favorite white chocolate cranberry pistachio cookies. (Hey. I need to make those again soon.) Pistachios and dried cranberries are mixed into the biscotti dough. And I use pleeeeeenty because I prefer cookies with a lot of “stuff.” Texture freak right here. Once the biscotti is finished in the oven, it gets a very generous dunk into melted white chocolate. You can dunk the biscotti any which way– or even drizzle the white chocolate on top. But I opted for a way to get white chocolate in every single bite. And I think know you should do the same.
Home is where the deliciously dunk-able white chocolate cranberry pistachio biscotti is.
White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Deliciously crunchy and crumbly, my white chocolate cranberry pistachio biscotti is perfect for dipping!
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for work surface + hands
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I prefer light here)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) canola or vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (75g) pistachios
- 3/4 cup (120g) dried cranberries
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- 8 – 10 (226g – 282g) ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla together. Pour into the flour/butter mixture and gently mix together until everything is just barely moistened. Fold in the pistachios and dried cranberries.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and with floured hands, knead lightly until the dough is soft and slightly sticky, about 8-10 times. If it’s uncontrollably sticky, knead 1-2 more Tablespoon(s) of flour into the dough. Divide the dough in two and place each half onto a baking sheet. Shape each half into an 8-9 inch long roll, patting down until each is about 1/2 inch thick. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top and sides of each biscotti slab with egg wash.
- Bake in batches (or together) for 25-26 minutes, or until the top and sides of the biscotti slabs are lightly browned. Remove from the oven, but do not turn off the heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Once the slabs are cool enough to handle, cut each into 1 inch thick slices. Set slices cut sides upright, ¼ inch apart, on the baking sheets. Return to the oven to continue baking for 8 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake other side for 8 minutes. The cookies will be slightly soft in the centers with harder edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping in white chocolate. The biscotti becomes crunchy as it cools. Save the baking sheets for the next step.
- Melt the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler or (carefully!) use the microwave. For the microwave, place the white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Dip each biscotti cookie in the melted chocolate and place back onto the baking sheets. Allow chocolate to set in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Biscotti will stay fresh covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Biscotti can be frozen for up to 3 months, with or without chocolate. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before dipping in white chocolate and/or serving.
- Chocolate: Make sure you’re using quality chocolate here, not chocolate chips. If dunking the entire bottoms of the biscotti cookies like I did, you’ll need about 10 ounces of white chocolate. If drizzling, you’ll only need about 8 ounces.
Keywords: white chocolate cranberry pistachio biscotti, cranberry biscotti, biscotti
Try my mocha chip version next!
I baked it second time today and it is super good.Last time I made three different types with three different recipes and this was the winner from staff of my husband’s clinic.Today also I am so happy as it is so good that I wanted to show you but don’t know howThank you for this recipe and many more which I have tried from your website and have never disappointed me
★★★★★
I cannot stop making Biscotti! I started with the almond, then ventured into your other flavors. My family wants these all the time now! Thank you!
★★★★★
First time making biscotti. Turned out exceptionally well. Thanks again!!
★★★★★
First time making biscotti. Turned out exceptionally well. As usual Sally, thank you for another one of your fantastic recipes!!
★★★★★
How (if at all) would whole wheat flour affect the bake? I’d like to try it with whole wheat (AP) flour, but don’t want to waste all the yummy ingredients if it won’t come out well 😉
Hi Sarah! We haven’t tested it, but would recommend trying half all purpose and half whole heat flour to see how that goes – happy baking!
Can I make these with gluten free 1:1 flour?
Hi Donna, we haven’t tested this recipe with 1:1 gluten free flour so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you give it a go!
These came out great. My dough was so dry when I brought it together in the bowl, I was sure I missed a wet ingredient. Have faith, it comes together nicely as a fairly moist cookie dough. Other tip, a sharp straight knife seemed to work better for cutting than serrated. The serrated knife snagged my cranberries and pistachios and many of them “fell out” while cutting. Lastly, these WILL crisp up a lot when cooling as promised. I like my biscotti really crunchy so I went an extra 2 min in the oven and they are super, duper crunchy! No worries, they are still DELICIOUS.
★★★★★
I made these for teacher gifts and my cookie exchange and my kids ate some and I froze a batch to hide in the freezer for myself. I don’t love dried fruit in baked goods but the cranberries are delicious and necessary (chewy and crunchy from the pistachios). I drizzled the white chocolate across the top for a slightly less sweet taste. Great and easy and I’ll be making these every year!
★★★★★
Best biscotti I’ve ever made at home, and probably the only biscotti I’ll ever make from now on.
★★★★★
Hi sally,
I wanted to separate the dough into 4 loafs instead of 2 to make smaller cookies. How do you think this would effect cook time?
Hi Cat! Bake time will certainly be shorter, though we’re unsure of exactly how long. Keep an eye on them in the oven – we would love to hear how they go!
Hi Sally,
I’d like to mail these for someone with a note allergy. May I, instead of melted white chocolate, sub in white chocolate chips for the nuts and leave the portions as is? Thank you!
Hi Rani, that should work just fine. Enjoy!
Hi Sally,
I would Iike to add some espresso or ground coffee to this. How much would I add?
Thanks so much!
Hi Janice! We haven’t tested adding espresso or coffee to biscotti – perhaps some instant espresso powder could be added? Adding liquid espresso or coffee would add too much moisture. Let us know what you try!
This was my first biscotti recipe, and it was delicious! Thank you for such a delicious flavor combination. I have one question though. The biscotti was very crunchy on day 1. But on the subsequent days, it was more crumbly like a scone than crunchy (both ways were delicious). Did I store it incorrectly?
I followed recipe exactly, using weight to measure. I also have an accurate oven and followed baking and cooling times precisely. I did pop them in the fridge for 10min when the white chocolate was still a bit tacky to get it to finish firming up. Then I stored them in a single layer in a Tupperware dish.
★★★★★
Hi Katelyn, thank you so much for trying this biscotti recipe. What always helps baked goods retain a crunchy/crisp texture is keeping it/them exposed to air. Try only lightly covering the biscotti next time. For example, storing on a plate with a piece of aluminum foil placed lightly on top.
This biscotti is delish! I made a batch as per the recipe, but as they were to be gifted, I thought I’d take them to the next level. I dipped the whole top in white chocolate (that I thinned with some coconut oil) and then sprinkled them (generously) with a pistachio/orange zest/fennel pollen crumb. I had to special order fennel pollen (Silk Road Spices in Canada) for a different recipe, and so I had some hanging around in the spice drawer. A little goes a long way, and the flavour boost is wonderful.
★★★★★
Hi Sally
Could these cookies be dipped in dark chocolate rather than white?
Thanks
Michele
Absolutely!
I’d never made biscotti before but of course I knew Sally would steer me in the right direction. These are scrumptious! The flavors are so great together
★★★★★
This is the best biscotti that I’ve ever tried! My parents say it’s better than store bought! Thank you soooo much Sally! And Happy Birthday to Noelle! Congratulations on your new baby girl.
★★★★★
Made these today for
My cookie exchange – just need to dip them in white chocolats .
YUM !!!
★★★★★
Hi Sally, I love this recipe, its one of my go-to’s! I was wondering if its possible to make the two slabs a head of time and refrigerate them over night and continue to the next step in the morning? Thanks!
★★★★★
Absolutely! Shouldn’t be a problem at all.
Hi Sally, I am new to your site and have tried several of your recipes. I love every one of them! These biscotti are my favorite so far. Thank you for such great recipes.
★★★★★
Can you substitute another nut for the Pistachio ?
Absolutely! Almonds, pecans, walnuts, or cashews would be great.
Will the white chocolate set at room temperature if not tempered? I’d like to give these as gifts but want to make sure they can stay at room temperature without the white chocolate melting. If it won’t set without being tempered, would white chocolate chips? Thanks!
The white chocolate will initially firm up in the fridge and when you take it out and have it sit at room temp, it will not melt.
Hello! If I omitted the pistachios due to an allergy would any other adjustments need to be made?
Thanks!
Brenda
Nope! No need to change anything else.
Delicious Sally! I made your classic almond biscotti yesterday just to get a feel for what I’m doing. Simple and classic flavor! My husband loves pistachios, perfect for the holidays! I used white whole wheat flour in place of AP because that is what I had and had no issues.
Hi, Sally. Can I just use dried cranberries instead of cranberries and pistachio nuts?
Sure can! Use 1 – 1 and 1/2 cups total.
This is my fave biscotti, the amount of crunchiness (pistachio) and chewiness (cranberry) are perfect. I didn’t add white chocolate because I don’t have it, I also didn’t add cinnamon, but I added zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange, and boy I’m glad I did. It’s just take this biscotti to the next level. It add that citrusy smell and when dunk into medium roast coffee, it’s just lift both flavour. You should try it.
I made these a few days ago for my husband to take to work. Several Italians there, they LOVED them. One guy wants the recipe for his wife. This was the first time i tried to make biscotti and it was really easy. Will definitely be making again.
Today was the day to try the biscotti recipe to be made for a gift. I was rather nervous to try, but your recipe was easy to follow and my nervousness turned to joy when they looked and tasted sooo good! Thank you so much for keeping holiday baking easy and enjoyable, plus extra delicious.
I just made these AND your chocolate crinkles! Both turned out amazing! My little nephews went crazy over the crinkle cookies – they made decorating the tree even more enjoyable (and delicious!). Thank you so much for all your recipes, you’re my absolute favorite blog!
I just baked these and they turned out amazing!! I love all of the recipes you post, I’ve had luck.with all of them. Keep up the great work!!