Christmas Biscotti

Last Christmas, a friend of mine gave me some home baked biscotti as a Chrissie pressie. Hubby and I loved eating them so much that we devoured it in a matter of minutes. I was really inspired to create my own version but never got around to it until today. This was also my first time at baking biscotti :)

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas Magazine, December 2008 issue, page 43

Makes 30 pieces

Ingredients

½ cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 ⅓ cups plain flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder, sifted
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dried Greek fig, chopped
¼ cup glace cherries, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1½ teaspoon orange zest

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lightly grease.
2. Place sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add flour, baking powder, Greek fig, glacé cherries, orange rind and dried cranberries. Stir to combine. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Shape into a 30cm log. Place on prepared tray and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on tray for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 140°C/120°C fan-forced. Using a serrated knife, slice log diagonally into 5mm-thick slices, discarding ends.
4. Place slices, in a single layer, on 2 baking paper-lined baking trays. Bake for 20 minutes, turning over halfway or until dry and crisp. Stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Notes & Tips

Place biscotti into clear cellophane gift bags tied with ribbon to give away as gifts