Christmas Biscotti - Cranberry and Pistachio

 Whoa be it for me to upgrade an Aust. Women's Weekly recipe because they have been a standby for me and many others (including my mum) for many years.  Why?  Because they work, EVERY TIME.  But....

Hmm, (embarrassing pause) however I recently misread this recipe and used baking powder instead of bi carb and used coconut sugar instead of castor sugar because I had none.  -  The result was better than the original, so if you want to substitute castor instead of coconut, and bi carb instead of baking powder go ahead!

You can also substitute any nut or fruit combination you enjoy, and instead of vanilla use any delicious essence (e.g. almond) you like.

One tip - chilling is a MUST. You could even chill overnight if that suits you better.

Ingredients

60g butter, softened
1 teasp vanilla
220g coconut sugar
2 eggs
260g plain flour
1/2 teasp baking powder
110g pistachios
130g dried cranberries
1 egg extra
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sugar (any kind)

Method

Beat butter, extract and sugar in medium bowl until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in sifted flour and soda, then nuts and cranberries. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease oven tray.

Knead dough on floured surface until smooth but still sticky. Halve dough; shape each half into 30cm log. Place logs on tray.

Whisk extra egg with the water in small bowl. Brush egg mixture over logs; sprinkle with extra sugar.

Bake biscotti about 20 minutes or until firm. Cool 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced.

Using serrated knife, cut logs diagonally into 1cm slices. Place slices on ungreased oven trays.

Bake biscotti about 15 minutes or until dry and crisp, turning halfway through baking time. Cool on wire racks.