A delicious orange pistachio biscotti, flavored with orange, filled with plenty of pistachios then dipped into dark chocolate! Easy to make & easier to eat! Great for seasonal cookie tins and holiday parties.
I am always so excited when Creative Cookie Exchange day comes around and I can't think of a better time to be sharing delicious cookie recipes than around the Christmas holidays. This month our theme was biscotti and I chose to make an Orange Pistachio Biscotti (mainly because two of my favorite flavors are, you guessed it, orange and pistachio). I have to say that biscotti is one cookie that I have never baked before. You are probably saying, really? Yep, really! It's not that I don't love it, it's just that it was one of those cookies I ordered for a special treat while dining out or stopping at my favorite coffee place and never thought about making my own.
I was also under the mistaken impression that they were a hard cookie to bake. I mean, you have to cook them twice, what's with that? And after all that, and a nudge from the Creative Cookie Exchange, I found out they are actually one of the easier cookies to make. Thank you my wonderful group! Now that you know, you've just got to try some of the ones that are being shared today from our group and, if you love pistachios, you just can't miss trying my Orange Pistachio version.
I think one of the parts I like best about the biscotti is that extra special dip into dark chocolate. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I get extra pistachios that way too! 🙂
These cookies are oh so good and make a very nice homemade gift for the holidays. I like to add mine to a basket with a cute coffee mug and a nice coffee for that special neighbor that is always available for a morning coffee break.
I did get the "these are incredible" from my husband so, as he is an aficionado of biscotti, I am positive you will love these. I so wish you could join me as I would gladly share with every one of you. Merry Christmas!
ORANGE PISTACHIO BISCOTTI
Ingredients
Biscotti
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons orange zest, about 1 large orange
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon candied orange peel, chopped fine
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- 6 oz shelled pistachios
For dipping:
- 8 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- ½ cup shelled pistachios, chopped small
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick spray.
- In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, orange zest, candied peel and orange juice together. Add the dry ingredients and mix with spoon til incorporated. Add nuts and stir.
- Lightly flour a wooden cutting board and place dough on board. Coat hands with flour and lightly knead for a minute. If dough is too wet, add another teaspoon or two of flour.
- Divide dough in half and place on prepared cookie sheet, forming into a log that is about 2" wide.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until firm to touch and lightly browned. Let cool 10 minutes.
- Place on cutting board and, with serrated knife, cut into ½" wide slices. Lay flat on cookie sheet and bake another 10-15 minutes, turning over halfway through.
- Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, prepare chocolate for dipping. (this step is optional)
- In a microwave safe dish, place roughly chopped chocolate and heat in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring inbetween, until all chocolate is melted. Do not over cook as chocolate will seize easily (in other words, become hard). Dip end of cooled biscotti in chocolate then sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Place back on baking sheet and allow chocolate to set. They can also be placed in the refrigerator for the chocolate to set faster.
- Store in airtight container.
Biscotti (or mandelbrot or any other twice baked cookie by any other name) are one of the perfect Holiday tin cookies! They last forever, and there are so many ways to make them festive. So we’ve got you covered--sweet, savory, low fat, loaded with decadence, you name it, we’ve got it! Happy Holidays!
You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:
- Almond Lemon Biscotti by Basic N Delicious
- Banana Walnut Biscotti by Upstate Ramblings
- Chocolate Almond Biscotti by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Chocolate Toffee Biscotti by Live Bake Love
- Currant Walnut Biscotti by Magnolia Days
- Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Biscotti by Flours and Frostings
- Gingerbread Biscotti by Food Lust People Love
- Gluten Free Chocolate Biscotti by What Smells So Good?
- Holiday Biscotti Bar by The Spiced Life
- Honey Beescotti by Oven Delights
- Mocha Biscotti by A Baker's House
- Orange Pistachio Biscotti by 2 Cookin' Mamas
- Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti by A Shaggy Dough Story
- Peppermint Kahlua Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
- White Chocolate Glazed Gingerbread Biscotti by Christmas Tree Lane
What's your favorite biscotti recipe?
I am loving the flavor combination you used and your beautifully festive photos. I also love how being in baking groups forces us to go outside our comfort zone and try new things.
Thanks Felice! And I totally agree, baking groups are a great way to expand our horizons and meet new bloggers. Have a great holiday!
My husband would go crazy over these! When I told him I left out the almonds in my biscotti recipe he questioned "Why?"! I do have some leftover orange candy peel from the recipe, I can certainly use them for this recipe! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
I think you should definitely use your orange candy peel in this recipe. Let me know if you try it Anabel. I'd love to know what your husband thinks. Happy holidays!
Isn't it nice when events like this encourage us to try new recipes! Your biscotti is so delicious looking!
You are so right Karen. It's great to be a part of this Cookie Exchange. It has prompted me to try so many new recipes and find some fantastic food bloggers too. Happy Holidays!
I so agree... thought they'd be too complicated but they were so easy . Your flavours are so good !
I love trying all these new recipes and so many great biscotti ones that are on my next-to-bake list. I'll have to remember to thank Laura again for starting this group!
Orange and pistachio are a great flavor combination. Plus you dipped them in chocolate! Yum
There's never too much chocolate right? Hope you get to try them Faye!
I think biscotti are one of Italy's best kept secrets-- they sound tricky to make but, like you, I was happy to learn that they couldn't be any easier. I like the chocolate dipped ends and toppings on yours!
Thanks Holly! The green of the pistachios seemed to fit the season (and they're my favorite nut too!) and well, chocolate is almost mandatory (at least in my house). 🙂
I thought the same about baking biscotti until I baked it the first time. Now I'm hooked too!
Wish someone had told me how easy they were to make before now! Yours look delicious, both the currant walnut variety and the blueberry pecan one. Looks like I have more baking to do!