Earlier last week, I wrote about my participation in
Will Bake For Food Fundraiser in Seattle. I wasn’t quite sure at the time what to bake.
I was looking for a simple recipe, one that would be easily multiplied, quick to bake, delicious, and tempting to buy.
I didn’t feel up to tempering chocolate, beating egg whites to a stiff meringue, or playing with delicate sheets of phyllo dough.
Just then, I remembered the Cranberry and Pistacchio Biscotti recipe I taught while working at Whole Foods Market and decided to replicate the recipe at home.
Looking inside my pantry (pulled out kitchen drawers), I quickly discovered that I didn’t have any pistacchios, nor did I have enough cranberries for the recipe. Unwilling to step outside on yet another rainy and stormy Seattle afternoon, I chose to make “Clean Your Pantry” Biscotti, using the basic recipe from
Whole Foods Market. Instead of plain cranberries, I used a combination of brown raisins, golden raisins, sour cherries and cranberries. In place of pistacchios, I used almonds and pecans. Also, instead of baking full-size biscotti, I decided on mini size – don’t they look adorable?
I would like to give a heart-felt thank you to my fabulous friend Alla who helped me design and print the orange name tags that went inside the bags! Thanks to you and Kyle for stopping by the Fundraiser and your support!
“Clean Your Pantry” Biscotti
Ingredients (about 120 individual small biscotti)
1 1/2 cups dried fruit (combination of raisins, golden raisins, cranberries, and sour cherries, approximately the same amount of each)
1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
Directions
1. Place dried fruit in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 10-15 minutes; drain.
2. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one a time, and blend until smooth. Add vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just blended. Stir dried fruit and nuts into dough by hand.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Divide dough into ten balls. On a lightly floured surface, knead each dough ball a few times then shape into a long, slightly flattened, log, about 1 inch wide and 12 to 14 inches long. Place on a parchment lined sheet a few inches apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until barely golden. If baking multiple pans at the same time, be sure to rotate halfway through to ensure even baking.
4. Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice logs on the diagonal about 1/2-inch thick. Return slices to the baking sheet and bake again for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through baking, until golden brown. Let cool.
Biscotti will keep for several weeks in an airtight container.
The biscotti turned out well! They were a bit labor intensive, given their size and quantity. While I was stuffing the 30 bags, I snacked on some of the end pieces. Unfortunately, biscotti weren’t the most popular item at the fundraiser, and I had some bags left at the end of the sale. Rather than taking them home, I swapped them for delicious homemade goodies contributed by many of my fellow Seattle bloggers!
What are your favorite ingredients for biscotti?
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