Make Christmas day easier by having some of your food prepared ahead of time. Start cooking up a storm now so that on the big day you can sit back, relax and eat with the rest of your family. Fruity Christmas Biscotti is the perfect snack to have on hand to feed hungry guests throughout the festive season.
Fruity Christmas Biscotti – You’ll need:
- 350g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- coarsely grated zest of 1 orange
- 85g raisins
- 85g dried cherries
- 50g blanched almonds
- 50g shelled pistachios
Preheat your oven to 180°C, and line 2 trays with baking paper before putting them aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, spice and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs and zest until the mixture starts forming clumps, then bring the dough together with your hands. It will seem dry at first but keep kneading until no floury patches remain. Add the fruit and nuts, and work them in with your hands until evenly distributed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour, and then roll each piece into a sausage shape about 30cm long. Place 2 on each tray, well-spaced apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the dough has risen and spread, and feels firm to the touch. It should still look pale. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack until cool enough to handle, then turn down the oven to 140°C.
Using a bread knife cut your biscotti into slices about 1cm thick on the diagonal, then lay the slices flat on the baking sheets. The biscuits can be cooled and frozen flat on the sheet at this point, then bagged and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake for another 15 minutes (20 minutes if from frozen), turn over, then bake again for another 15 minutes until dry and golden. Tip onto a wire rack to cool completely, then store in an airtight tin for up to one month, or pack into boxes and give as gifts straightaway!
For more creative Christmas cooking ideas check out our Pinterest page!