Cranberry Hazelnuts Biscotti

Do you like Biscotti?  I do.
Biscotti, also known as cantuccini (coffee bread), are twice‑baked cookies originating in the Italian city of Prato. They are long, thick, brittle cookies designed to be dipped in coffee, cocoa, or wine.

Glad to also know that the traditional biscotti do not contain butter and oil.  As I do not have pistachio nuts (cos could hardly find shelled unsalted pistachio in supermarkets), hence, substituted with hazelnuts and made these Cranberry Hazelnuts Biscotti !

Recipe adapted from : Joy of Baking, with slight changes made in blue.

Cranberry Hazelnuts Biscotti
Ingredients:
135 gram granulated white sugar (I reduced to 90 gram caster sugar)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
230 grams all-purpose flour
60 grams *hazelnuts coarsely chopped
75 grams dried cranberries or cherries

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
*toast hazelnuts: spread on a baking sheet and bake @ 177 °C for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.

Some prepared ingredients

2) In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the sugar and eggs on high speed until thick, pale, and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). At this point beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixture and beat until combined. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts and cranberries.

3) Transfer the dough to a well floured counter and roll into a log shape, about 12 inches (30 cm) long and 3 1/2 inches (9 cm) wide. You may have to flour your hands to form the log as the dough is quite sticky. Place the log on the baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

I roughly divided into 2 logs instead of 1

4) Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Transfer the log to a cutting board and cut into about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) slices, on the diagonal. Place the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, turn slices over, and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

Makes about 20 - 24 biscotti.
(On my next attempt, I shall slice them slightly thinner to double the quantity)

Cooling on rack

I love the nice crisp and crunchy texture ... makes them perfect for dunking in my coffee and munch munch ... very addictive !
Simply enjoy the dipping and munching ... on a lazy sunny weekend ^-^!

Happy baking and have a nice day :D

I'm submitting this post to "My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.