Coconut, Cranberry and Walnut Biscotti

Whenever I stop by a coffee shop to grab my favorite drink to liven and warm me up, it’s very rare that I ever leave the counter without purchasing a biscotti to dip into my drink. A biscotti, to Italians, is any type of cookie. However, to us Americans, the term is used to describe a long, dry, hard and twice-baked cookie. This cookie is curved at the top, flat on the bottom and is perfectly designed to be great for dunking into coffee.

Traditionally, this cookie was almond flavored with bits of almonds in them. However, with so many flavors and options out there today, it’s hard not to experiment with the flavor and customize a biscotti recipe to make it your own.

Over the weekend, in preparation for our holiday guests, I gathered together coconut, dried cranberries and walnuts. I worked these ingredients into the biscotti dough and what came out of the oven was a delicious aroma from this flavor combination. I cannot wait to serve these treats alongside coffee and tea on Christmas morning as we open our presents.

Coconut, Cranberry and Walnut Biscotti

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the sugar and the butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the coconut extract and eggs.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Mix together this mixture with the butter mixture.
4. Fold in the coconut and walnuts.
5. Divide dough into two pieces and roll each piece into a log about 10 inches long. Place the logs onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Flatten each log until it’s 3 inches wide.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes and then remove from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes.
7. Slice the logs crosswise into 1/2-inch wide slices. Place slices on baking sheet and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until crisp and light brown.
8. Remove from oven, cool and serve or store in an airtight container.

*Recipe slightly adapted from Allrecipes.com