Calling all biscotti lovers! I can’t wait to share this Holiday Biscotti Recipe with all of you. Lots of dried fruit and brazil nuts in every bite!
The holiday period is fast approaching; and if you’re like me, it always starts off like a marathon: conversations with families and friends usually during the last summer barbecues, asking which family member will host, coordinating between both sides of the family, specifications, and themes for the gift exchanges…
Then, before you know it, it’s the middle of winter and it becomes the sprint of a lifetime… and you swear that it’s the last year that you are running this crazy race!
The good news is that it does get easier with a little planning and prioritizing. It really is a matter of identifying, fine-tuning and simplifying what is important to you, and then everything becomes a little more manageable.
Take, for example, the whole issue of gift-giving and baking during the holiday season.
When I realized, years ago, that biscotti make fantastic hostess gifts, I started making them with a frenzied purpose.
Biscotti are easy to make, there are so many different varieties that can be made and they freeze super well! If you also have a thing for biscotti, you’ve come to the right place!
I’ve created a comprehensive guide on How to Make Biscotti. Be sure to consult it for more tips and tricks.
How to make this Holiday Biscotti Recipe:
When I describe these festive-looking biscotti as being fruity, that’s because it has dried figs, apricots, pineapple, cranberries, and mixed peel in it.
This wonderful dried fruit will get coarsely chopped and then combined with Brazil nuts and ½ cup of the dry ingredients. Try to separate the fruits as much as possible so that there are no clumps.
Remember to leave the Brazil nuts whole as they will provide a wonderful visual once your biscotti are sliced.
Once you have beaten your eggs, add the dry ingredients. And then gently fold in the nuts and fruit.
You will notice that you cannot roll this batter into a log.
What I do is drop large serving spoons of batter on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in order to achieve the shape of two logs. (I also use this technique for these Honey Almond Cocoa Biscotti).
The biscotti will be rustic looking but they taste great!
Then it is just a matter of slicing them.
Biscotti, as you may know, is Italian for “twice-cooked” – so if you like a bit of a crunch, put those biscotti back in the oven again for the second round of baking 🙂
Origin of this Fruity Biscotti Recipe:
I was first introduced to these festive-looking biscotti Recipe when I was a teenager.
Just like the recipe for the honey almond biscotti, the origin of this recipe can be traced to my Zia Maria.
These Christmas biscotti were one of my mom’s favorite and her sister would often drop them off just because that’s what older sisters would do! I, for one, was always super happy to see my aunt popping in for a surprise visit – it almost always meant some biscotti and baked goods were coming our way!
This is a very versatile recipe and as long as you keep the proportions equal, you can easily vary your ingredients.
My aunt’s original recipe had maraschino red cherries which I replaced with cranberries. I also decreased the brown sugar by half.
These Fruity Brazil Nut Jeweled Holiday Biscotti are not only a family favorite, but they are also so easy to make. As a result, they are usually one of the first biscotti recipes that I make in preparation for the holiday season.
If you are looking for more biscotti flavors, be sure to check out all of my Biscotti recipes.
Have you started your holiday baking yet?
Holiday Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1½ cups dried figs coarsely chopped (180 grams)
- 1½ cups dried apricots coarsely chopped (180 grams)
- ½ cup citrus peel or mixed peel, glazed
- ¼ cup dried pineapple chunks coarsely chopped (40 grams)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries 40 grams
- 2 cups whole brazil nuts 300 grams
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Position rack in the center.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients together, set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cut up fruits and the brazil nuts with ½ cup of dry ingredients, set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, or bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk the eggs on medium high speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add brown sugar and vanilla extract and whisk for another 2 minutes.
- Add the remainder 1 cup of dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated (do not over mix).
- Fold in chopped fruit and brazil nuts.
- With a large mixing spoon, place mixture and parchment lined baking sheet. Form into 2 logs (refer to explanation in text of article).
- Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until firm to the touch.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool down.
- Transfer to cutting board.
- Using a serrated knife, slice cookies about ½ inch thick.
- Optional: Place sliced biscotti on the baking sheets, and bake for about another 5-10 minutes (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get).
- Can be stored at room temperature for a few weeks...if they last that long. Can also be frozen.
Nutrition
Mary Dettmer
These Biscotti are now my absolute favorite, and I’ve been baking Biscotti for family and friends for the past maybe 10(?) years! They aren’t the classic hard/crisp dunking type which are usually my go-to favorites, but all the delicious dried fruit lets everyone know these are SPECIAL. Adding this recipe to my permanent Christmas Biscotti recipe box!
Maria
I am so thrilled to read this! Thanks for sharing Mary.
Kevin
This looks delicious! Would you recommend adding any spices…cinammon?
Maria
Thanks for your interest Kevin. I have never added any spices to the recipe but cinnamon sounds like it might be a nice addition.
gerard
is this candied orange peel or fresh orange peel? Help
Maria
Great question Gerard, I actually used a glazed orange peel. I think a candied version can work. I will update the post. Thanks so much for stopping by, appreciate it!