Your holiday cookie platter will be complete with these Thin Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti. Festive looking, great tasting & so easy to make!
Thin Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Nothing says the holidays like cranberries and pistachios. Since holiday baking is just around the corner, I thought I would share one of my go-to holiday biscotti recipes with all of you.
Biscotti are wonderful, aren’t they?
I’m not just saying that because I love biscotti, because, well, I do love biscotti.
But, homemade biscotti are wonderful because they:
- are great for dunking;
- can be made into any flavor, sweet or savory;
- have a long shelf life since they are twice-baked;
- freeze well;
- make great hostess gifts;
- are great for a homemade Christmas cookie box and
- are easy to make.
I love them so much I created a comprehensive guide on how to make biscotti so that everyone can see how truly easy they are to make!
These are also some of the reasons why I always start my holiday baking by making biscotti.
Spoiler alert: These cranberry cookies will quickly become one of your favorite Italian Christmas Cookies that you will make not only for the holidays but throughout the year.
I will not deny that these particular biscotti are a little labor-intensive. There are well over 200 super thin biscotti that need to be sliced and baked. But you will be rewarded with a great-tasting biscotti.
Are you ready?
How to make Thin Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
We begin by making the dough. This easy biscotti recipe includes the orange zest, plumped cranberries and pistachios.
You will quickly notice that this mixture cannot be “rolled” into the traditional log shape. Instead, what we are going to do, is transfer large “spoonfuls” of the dough on the parchment-lined cookie sheet, trying to create a shape that resembles a log.
Then, with slightly dampened fingers, press and shape the dough into a log and bake. You will notice there is no baking powder in this recipe. As a result, we can get away with placing three logs on a large baking sheet since expansion is limited.
If you prefer, you can also use parchment-lined loaf pans. In the oven, they go for about 15-20 minutes until they are firm to the touch.
Once baked, you will inevitably notice that these loaves are extremely pale-looking. Not to worry. Remember, they are going in for a second bake, but first, they must be sliced.
A very sharp knife is crucial to get very thin slices -one-sixteenth of an inch is ideal. That being said, if you can only slice them one-eighth of an inch, they will still taste great; you just won’t have as many.
Your super-thin biscotti are ready for the second baking.
Place slices flat on the baking sheets and bake at the same temperature for about 10 minutes (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get).
Flip the biscotti over halfway through the bake time. Keep an eye on them because they can quickly burn, depending on how thin you cut them.
And just like that, you are done!
How to store
In general, biscotti cookies can be stored in airtight containers but they don’t need to be absolutely hermetically sealed. A slight flow of air will help them stay crispy!
Other options include glass or ceramic containers, as well as cookie tins. Placing a paper towel or napkin at the bottom can help absorb any excess moisture. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
More biscotti recipes
What’s not to love about biscotti? With crunchy additions of nuts and flavorful add-ins like dried fruit, seeds and chocolate chips, these delicious cookies are great on their own or dipped in coffee or tea.
Some of our favorites include my mom’s biscotti recipe, these healthy date biscotti and of course these traditional anise biscotti. Happy baking!
Recipe origin
The inspiration for this recipe came from one of my mom’s dearest friends, Nunzia. If you recall, I have already shared her recipe for thin crispy almond biscotti. That was almost three years ago! My, oh my, where does the time fly!
Since the holidays are right around the corner, I thought replacing the almonds with cranberries and pistachios would be festive. I also added some orange zest, and I decreased the total amount of flour.
Have you ever had those thinaddictives costco cookies?
Now imagine them, but made from scratch and with a perfect holiday twist!
A reader recently wrote, “these copycat cranberry thinaddictives recipes are the best homemade version I’ve tasted yet.”
These thin biscotti chips will still provide you with that crispy texture you all know and love. But when you bite into these biscotti, you will be pleasantly surprised by the perfect amount of chewiness provided by the cranberries.
As they say, betcha can’t have just one.
Enjoy 🙂
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
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Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made these thin biscotti cookies, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Super Thin Cranberry Pistachio Italian Biscotti
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2¾ cups flour 390 grams
- pinch salt
- zest of 1 orange
- 5 eggs separated
- 1 cup sugar granulated
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 1½ cups pistachio nuts
Instructions
- Soak the cranberries in water for about 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Position rack in the center.
- Line a baking sheet or loaf pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift flour. Add the pinch of salt and the orange zest. Combine and then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the yolks.
- Gradually add the sugar. Whisk together for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add vanilla extract.
- Switch to the paddle attachment. At low speed, add flour to the egg mixture and incorporate. The mixture will look like bread crumbs. Once again, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With a wooden spoon, incorporate the pistachios and cranberries. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until they reach the stiff peak stage.
- Fold the egg whites in the flour and nut mixture.
- Divide dough into thirds. Place each third on the cookie sheet; with damp hands, shape into a log. Alternatively, divide dough in half and place in loaf pans. (9.25x5.25x2.75)
- Bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes or until firm to the touch (it will take a few minutes longer in the loaf pans).
- Remove from oven, wrap in clean dish towels and allow to cool down.
- Once cool, transfer loaves to cutting board.
- Using a very sharp or serrated knife, slice cookies as thin as possible, one-sixteenth of an inch is ideal.
- Place slices flat on the baking sheets and bake for about 10-15 minutes (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get). Flip the biscotti over halfway through the bake time.
- They can be stored in any container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Shawna
These are wonderful….great recipe!
Maria
Thanks so much Shawna!
Sunny
Please let me know what is the purpose of soaking the dried cranberry in water? Is it to reduce the sugar content or to separate the cranberry pieces so they won’t stick together?
Maria
Thanks for your interest Sunny. It is to soften them. Enjoy!
Liv
Hi Maria,
These look amazing and I am planning on trying them out for christmas this year. 🙂
I would like to hear at what time during the whole making you would suggest freezing them, is it possible to freeze them after the first baking as an example?
Maria
Thanks for your interest Liv. What I usually do is complete the entire recipe and then freeze the individual biscotti. I have never tried to freeze the loaf and then slice and bake. I hesitate to recommend this as I think it will be impossible to slice thinly without breaking them. Have fun baking!
Norberta Alesssndra
The most delish biscotti and many other recipes that are easy to make and taste wonderful
Thank you
Maria
My pleasure Norberta! Thank you!
Judith
Hi from a Maria fan! I freeze after the first baking with great success. I leave the frozen loaf in the refrigerator for at least a few hours. The slicing works fine! Just has to be at the right defrost moment. I always wrap all the loaves in in three layers: parchment, aluminum foil and a kitchen cloth. The ones that go in the freeze, I remove the cloth and put in a ziplock bag. The three layer wrap perhaps keep moisture in which may help. Dunno but it works.
Gavin Williams
Simply marvellous! Second time I’ve made them. Had to use mandarin for zest, but sure it will still be amazing! Thank you for your efforts! LOVE your whole site.
Maria
Thank you so much for your kind words Gavin, they are truly appreciated. So happy you are enjoying these cookies.
Debbie Ens
I made them in the loaf pans which was great. I didn’t have an orange so I added ground fennel.
Will definitely make them again. They are so pretty.
Maria
How wonderful Debbie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Michelle Mellace
Hi Maria I made these cookies for New Years Eve. I’ve made many biscotti over the years. This recipe is a welcome addition that was a hit with my family. Very addictive & excellent with a glass of Prosecco. Will definitely make again. Happy New Year to you & your family 🍾🥂🎊🎉
Maria
So thrilled to read this! Thanks so much Michelle. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones as well!
Brittany
This was my first time making biscotti, and I was not disappointed with this recipe in the slightest. Such a simple recipe, with instructions that were easy to follow. I added a chocolate drizzle to half of them which works so well with the hints of orange zest. I’m excited to be able to ship these to friends and family in different states. They’re tough cookies that will keep for some time, not to forget delicious!
Maria
How wonderful Brittany! Welcome to the wonderful world of biscotti!
Pam
Amazing recipe, making for Xmas gifts but I keep eating them before I can bag them up!!!! Thank you so much for this..addictive!!
Maria
Thanks so much Pam! Thrilled to read you are enjoying them!
Adrienne
Hello there! In order to save time and my patience, can I slice these thicker and make a more traditional size biscotti? Any adjustments I should be aware of? Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Maria
Thanks for your interest Adrienne. I have never tried it. You can cut them slightly thicker but the biscotti dough is made to be crispy. My hesitation would be that they would be really hard as a result.
Perhaps you can try my almond biscotti recipe as a base and switch the almonds for cranberries and pistachios. Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy holiday season!
Heidi
I only have one cup of pistachios. I can’t get to the store because of the pandemic. Could I use 1/2 cup almonds, or 1/2 cup salted pistachios to get to that 1 1/2 cups. I was trying to cut recipe in half or 2/3 but with 5 eggs couldn’t figure it out.
It looks so great. I really want to try this.
Thank you
Maria
Thanks for your interest Heidi. Yes, I think it will be great. It will still look very festive! Enjoy!