Hazelnut and Dried Cranberries Biscotti

Biscotti means "twice baked" in Italian. Double baking is the secret behind these crunchy cookies.
The dough for biscotti is shaped into a log ( like a home made bread) and baked. Then, the baked log is cut into slices that are again baked until they become crunchy.
These cookies are durable and they keep very well. So they are perfect to make like every week and have them in the house for guests or for yourself...I am crazy about having them with a glass of goat milk... :)

What you need:


- 125 gr butter at room temperature
- 185 gr sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 5 gr vanilla essence
- 280 gr flour
- 7 gr baking powder
- 7 gr ground cinnamon
- 3 gr salt
- 150 gr hazelnuts toasted and skinned and then chopped coarsely
- 90 gr dried cranberries ( you can use dried cherries as well)
- the grated zest of two tangerines

How to make it:

1. Preheat the over to 180 dergrees. Place a baking paper on an over tray and put it aside. In a bowl beat whisk with the mixer the butter until it becomes fluffy and then add the sugar and whisk for about 7 minutes.

2. Add eggs one at a time and whisk after each addition. Beat in the vanilla essence as well.

3. In a separate bowl mix the flower, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

4. Add the flour mixture slowly by slowly to the butter mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. The dough should be soft.

5. Add the chopped hazelnuts, the cranberries and the tangerine zest and mix until evenly distributed.

6. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and split in two. Transfer each piece on the baking tray and form it into a log of approximately 25 cm long and 4 cm wide. Leave space in between the two logs, as the dough will spread in the oven.

7. Put the tray in the oven for about 25 minutes until the logs become slightly golden on the sides. After that take the tray out and let it cool for 10 minutes. Don't turn the oven off.

8. After they have cooled, cut the logs in slices diagonally an arrange the slices on another tray covered with baking paper and put them back into the oven for about 10 minutes.  After taking them out, let them cool completely on tray. Store them in an airtight container.

 I actually like to keep the ends of the logs to eat after I cut them... Nice, warm and fragrant... :P