White Chocolate & Cranberry Biscotti

Any biscuit that goes with a cup of tea is alright in my eyes and I can confirm that every biscuit, so far at least, in this 12 day countdown to Christmas go with a cup of tea (Yorkshire is my preference). 

There are so many different biscotti flavours out there, but one combination which screams Christmas to me is cranberry and white chocolate. It's simple, yet satisfying and I feel like it's one that everyone likes too. 

Before this countdown, I had never made biscotti before and turns out, the process really isn't all that difficult. Wet mix into the dry mix and combine, then bake. The only side of it which can take time is the baking process. They require an initial 25-30 minute bake, then you need to slice them and then bake 15 minutes on either side, so be sure to set aside at least an hour for the baking, even though the dough side will only take 5 minutes. 

For these, I experimented with both dipping the biscottis and drizzling with white chocolate and found the drizzling gave a better finish. When dipping into white chocolate, it can be quite thick and takes away from the flavourings. 

These biscottis are not just cranberry and white chocolate, but also have mixed spice, cinnamon and orange zest in that give it a classic Christmas taste and feel. When baking, the smell that fills your kitchen will be delicious. I can promise you that. 

If you're thinking of making these biscottis ahead, you can make the dough, roll into the logs and wrap in greaseproof or cling wrap and chill in the fridge for up to 3 days, then bake on the day. You could also freeze the uncooked dough for up to 3 months, and save for when you need it. 

White Chocolate and Cranberry Biscotti

Makes around 20+ individual biscotti

Ingredients:

350g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

250g caster sugar

3 eggs

zest of 2 oranges

150g dried cranberries

100g white chocolate, chopped

Optional: 75g white chocolate, melted for drizzling

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/350f and line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper. 
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, spices and caster sugar and mix. 
3. In a jug whisk the eggs and zest until combined, then add the wet mix to the dry mix. Then add the dried cranberries and white chocolate. Mix to combine; it will start to form clumps, this is fine, keep mixing until a dough comes together. Mix until no flour is left. 
4. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and then tip the dough out onto the surface. Divide into 2 pieces, rolling each out like a thick sausage, about 25cm long. You want a thick log, not a skinny sausage. So when the biscotti bakes, it will spread slightly, but should still be slightly puffy, not completely flat. 
5. Put one biscotti to a tray, to allow for spreading. Bake each biscotti for 30 mins or until the biscotti feels firm. It shouldn't feel soft. 
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for 5 mins before handling it. Turn the oven down to 140c 
7. Transfer your biscottis to a chopping board and using a sharp bread knife, chop into slices of abought 2cm thick. Then lay each slice flat on a baking tray, you don't have to distance them from each other as they will not spread - this bake will be about drying them out. Bake for 15 minutes on one side, then flip onto the other side and bake for a final 15 minutes. 
8. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Then drizzle with chocolate, or you could also dip some in chocolate, although I find that drizzled is preferable. Store in an airtight container or wrap in cellophane bags for gifting.