recipe: cranberry-almond biscotti

This recipe is easy, delicious, and not so bad for you. It's great with a cup of coffee or tea, or to bribe a neighbor to keep your ridiculous dog for the weekend.

Cranberry-Almond Biscotti

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
• 6 ounces white chocolate, optional
  

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the extracts and zest, then stir in the eggs.

In another bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder, and gradually stir into the egg mixture. Mix in the cranberries and almonds.

Divide dough in half. Form two logs, about 8 by 4 inches each, on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. The dough will be very sticky - wet hands will handle it more easily.

Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F.

When slightly cooled, cut logs on the diagonal into one-inch slices - a sharp, serrated steak knife works well for this, as the biscotti is prone to crumbling. Lay biscotti on their sides on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry. Let cool.

In a double-boiler, or in a microwave on low power, melt white chocolate, stirring constantly (or very often, if using a microwave). Spread chocolate onto a plate, and dip biscotti pieces. Lay on a piece of wax paper to cool.