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This Orange Cranberry Biscotti is a flavorful and festive holiday treat. Full of orange flavor dotted with cranberries, and drizzled with white chocolate goodness!
Easy & Festive Biscotti Recipe
I am a sucker for sweet, crunchy biscotti. Especially around this time of year when holiday baking is in full swing. And when there are orange and cranberries in the mix, I simply cannot say no.
This recipe is one that I developed last Christmas and it has become my favorite biscotti recipe. It has a simple base that uses pantry staples. It includes the addition of orange extract and dried cranberries for a sweet but tart flavor and festive look.
Since biscotti can last for weeks at room temperature, these orange cranberry cookies are ideal for making in advance. You can add them to cookie trays or enjoy them throughout the holiday season. You’ll love always having a dessert on hand and your guests will thank you for it!
I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t love this cranberry orange biscotti with white chocolate drizzle. I know you’ll love it too!
What You’ll Need
This recipe is made with all your basic biscotti ingredients, with the addition of orange extract and dried cranberries.
- Olive oil – Extra virgin light olive oil is the best for this recipe, as it has a lighter flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Orange extract – Provides the bright citrus flavor. I find it works better than orange juice or orange zest in this type of cookie.
- Eggs – Eggs must be at room temperature
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking powder – The leavening agent to allow the biscotti to rise.
- Dried cranberries – Add the slightly tart flavor that makes these so special.
- White chocolate – Optional for a drizzle topping.
How to Make Orange Cranbery Biscotti
This biscotti is made using just a stand mixer and spatula, no special tools are needed.
Make the biscotti dough. Cream the oil and sugar then beat in the orange extract and eggs.
In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. Add to the egg mixture, mixing just until the dough forms. Stir in the cranberries.
Shape the dough. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into 12×2 inch logs. Transfer the logs to a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten them to about ½ inch thick.
Bake. Bake the logs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Cool enough to touch then slice into ½-inch diagonal slices.
Lay each slice cut side down and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
Make the drizzle. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring until melted and smooth.
Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag. Drizzle over the biscotti in a decorative way.
Tips for Success
If you’re ready to make perfectly baked orange biscotti, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Use a sharp knife. Be sure to use a sharp or serrated knife for clean and easy cuts.
- Play around with the spices. I chose to focus on the orange extract for flavor. But, you can also add in some additional spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg if desired.
- Use chocolate bars, not chocolate chips. If you choose to add the white chocolate drizzle, opt for bars of white chocolate if possible. If you need to use white chocolate chips, add a tablespoon of canola oil for easier melting.
Serving Suggestions
Sweet, crunchy biscotti is perfect for enjoying with coffee or tea any time of the day. The texture is perfect for dunking. While they’re sweet and suitable for dessert, they’re not too sweet to be an afternoon snack.
They are also perfect for portioning out into little gift bags for the holidays. This orange cranberry biscotti is actually my favorite thing to package and mail to family.
Friends and family love getting homemade cookies in the mail. They are always so grateful and appreciative of the love and effort poured into those types of gifts.
How to Store
- How to store biscotti. If you add the white chocolate drizzle, your orange cranberry biscotti will keep for 4-5 days at room temperature. Without drizzle, it will last for up to 3 weeks at room temperature.
- Can I freeze biscotti? Yes, biscotti can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge then bring to room temperature to enjoy.
More Cranberry Orange Recipes
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls
- Orange Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
Orange Cranberry Biscotti
This Orange Cranberry Biscotti is a flavorful and festive holiday treat. Full of orange flavor dotted with cranberries, and drizzled with white chocolate goodness!
Ingredients
For the cookie
- ½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin, light olive oil
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup (120 g) dried cranberries
For the drizzle
- 4 ounces (113 g) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
Instructions
Make the cookie
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the oil and sugar. Beat in the orange extract and eggs.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Mix just until dough forms. Stir in the cranberries.
- Shape the dough into two 12x2 inch logs on the prepared baking sheet. Press down to about ½ inch thick.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Allow the logs to cool enough to touch. Slice into ½-inch diagonal slices. Lay each slice cut side down. Return to the oven for 10 minutes longer or until lightly toasted on each side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the drizzle
- Place white chocolate and canola oil in a heatproof bowl and set over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir continuously until melted and smooth.
- Add the melted white chocolate to a piping bag or zip-top bag. Snip the corner and drizzle over the biscotti in a decorative way.
Notes
White chocolate: You may use white chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon canola oil. However, bars of white chocolate tend to melt easier. You can also skip the drizzle completely.
Make-ahead tip
- Biscotti with drizzle will keep at room temperature for 4-5 days. Biscotti without a drizzle will keep for up to 3 weeks at room temperature.
- Biscotti freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 217Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 93mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients you used in the recipe.
Question. Is there a reason why you use almond meal in your cherry biscotti, but not in this one?
This one, orange cranberry biscotti, was the first biscotti I ever made. As with any recipe developer, we are always trying new recipes and experimenting with different ways of making something. When I had the idea for cherry almond biscotti, I wanted to see how almond meal would work instead of adding almond slivers. I give details in that blog post for how the almond meal affected the end result.
Got all my ingredients together. I need 3 batches for a family cookie swap. OK if I triple all the ingredients and make one big batch? I’m using orange zest, too, in place of orange extract, and I’Il add OJ in same extract quantity
Everybody loves it, I’m sure we all will too. Thank you for sharing
I haven’t doubled or tripled this recipe before so I’m unsure how well it will turn out. To be safe, I recommend making 3 separate batches.
Best recipe I have ever had and so easy
I think this is the third year I have been making this awesome biscotti. I make a ton, of different biscottis. These are one of my favorites! I always made these without the frosting but this year I did the drizzle. It took them over the top. What a great recipe !