Giada holiday biscotti from Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network fills twice-baked cookies with pistachios and dried cranberries. And each biscotti runs approximately 210 calories, with the full batch of 2 dozen taking about 2 hours and 30 minutes since that includes cooling and chocolate setting time.

Giada adds lemon zest to the butter and sugar base, which brightens the dough against the sweet white chocolate coating. So the finished biscotti taste less like a heavy holiday cookie and more like a citrus-spiked shortbread with a candy shell.

The 30-minute cool between the first and second bake is the step that determines whether you get clean slices or a crumbled mess. And if you cut the log while it is still hot, the soft crumb tears around the pistachios instead of holding its shape.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network)

Giada Holiday Biscotti

Recipe by medshi8Course: DessertCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

210

kcal

Butter, sugar, and lemon zest cream together before flour, pistachios, and cranberries fold in and the dough shapes into one long log. Then two rounds in a 350°F oven crisp the slices, and a dip in melted white chocolate with colored sugar crystals finishes each one.

Ingredients

For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup dried cranberries
For the coating:
12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped
Red and green sugar crystals, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven: Heat to 350°F and line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk the dry ingredients: Then combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl.
Cream the butter mixture: In a separate large bowl, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt with an electric mixer.
Add the eggs: Once creamed, beat in the eggs one at a time until combined.
Combine the dough: Then add the flour mixture and beat just until blended.
Fold in the mix-ins: Once the dough comes together, stir in the pistachios and cranberries by hand.
Shape the log: Then form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet.
First bake: Once shaped, bake until light golden, about 40 minutes.
Cool before slicing: After baking, let the log cool on the sheet for 30 minutes before moving it.
Slice the log: Then transfer to a cutting board and cut on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices with a serrated knife.
Second bake: Once sliced, arrange the biscotti cut side down on the sheet and bake until pale golden, about 15 minutes.
Cool completely: Then transfer to a wire rack and let them cool all the way before dipping.
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Melt the chocolate: While the biscotti cool, stir the white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water until melted.
Dip the biscotti: Then dip half of each biscotti into the chocolate and shake off the excess gently.
Add the crystals: While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the red and green sugar crystals over the dipped side.
Set the chocolate: Then place the biscotti on the sheet and refrigerate about 35 minutes until firm

FAQs

Can I use dark or milk chocolate instead of white?

Dark chocolate works and pairs well with the pistachios, though it hides the green and red colors of the mix-ins that give these their holiday look. And milk chocolate is sweeter than white, so the lemon zest gets buried under the extra sugar.

But if you do swap, chop the chocolate the same size and melt it the same way over simmering water. Since all three types set at similar rates, the 35-minute chill time in the fridge stays the same regardless.

Why does the recipe call for a serrated knife?

A serrated blade saws through the cooled log without pressing down, which protects the pistachios and cranberries from cracking apart. And a straight-edged chef’s knife pushes through with downward force, so the biscotti tend to crumble instead of slicing cleanly.

But even with a serrated knife, a gentle back-and-forth motion works better than one firm push. Since the baked log is firm but still slightly tender after 30 minutes of cooling, slow steady strokes give you the cleanest edges.

How should I store these and how long do they last?

Giada notes on the page that an airtight container keeps them fresh for up to 4 days at room temperature. And for longer storage, wrap individual biscotti in foil and freeze them in resealable bags for up to 3 weeks.

But separate layers with parchment paper in the container, because the white chocolate coating sticks to itself when stacked. And let frozen biscotti thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating, since the chocolate blooms if it warms too quickly.

Can I skip the white chocolate dip?

Without the chocolate, you have a perfectly good pistachio cranberry biscotti that is crunchier and lighter. And the lemon zest comes through even stronger without the sweet coating, so the flavor profile shifts toward a more traditional Italian style.

But the white chocolate does more than decorate, since it seals the cut edges and keeps moisture out. So undipped biscotti go stale faster and may need to be eaten within 2 days instead of 4.

What other nuts or dried fruit can I swap in?

Almonds are the classic biscotti nut and they hold up well during the double bake, since they are harder than pistachios. And dried cherries swap directly for cranberries with a similar tartness, so the balance stays the same.

But avoid soft nuts like walnuts or pecans, because they crumble during slicing and leave greasy spots in the dough. And sticky dried fruit like dates or figs clumps together instead of distributing evenly, so chop them small and toss with a teaspoon of flour before folding in.