Cranberry Orange Biscotti (Easy Christmas Biscotti)

Cranberry Orange Biscotti have a sensational crisp crunchy texture and are loaded with festive holiday flavors. The twice-baked cookies are perfect for dunking in coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Plus, these Italian cookies store well and last for weeks.

Cranberry orange biscotti is more than just a coffee dipping treat! Try Christmas biscotti with  Butterscotch Spike Hot Chocolate, Creamy Bailey’s Irish Coffee, Lattes, and even Eggnog Iced Coffee loves a dunking buddy! Do you lean toward traditional Italian biscotti dipping in sweet red dessert wine? Try my German Mulled Wine.

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Why Cranberry Orange Biscotti Are Going To Make Your (Holi)-Day!

Making your own homemade cranberry orange biscotti with white chocolate is so satisfying your peeps will wonder at your Cheshire grin!

• Classic Italian Treat: A fantastic flavor combination in a not-too-sweet Italian biscuit 
• Dunking Power: The twice-baked dry texture is superb when dunked in hot (or cold) coffee, latte, or tea.
• Great For Gifting: A delicious, light, and crunchy baked treat holds up well for gifting
• Make-Ahead: Low-moisture biscotti last longer than fresh-baked cookies
• Simple Ingredients: Cranberry orange Christmas biscotti only need a few basic pantry ingredients.

Cranberry Orange Biscotti Ingredients

For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Italians call these dry, crunchy, oblong, twice-baked cookies cantucci, known for their sturdy texture to dip in beverages.

• Vegetable Oil – contributes to the crunchy biscotti texture and reduces dry crumbles.
• Sugar – white granular 
• Large Eggs – room temperature
• Large Orange – zested
• Vanilla Extract
• Dried Cranberries 
• White Chocolate Chips
• Pecans – chopped
• All-Purpose Flour – use the spoon and level method
• Baking Powder – check/test for freshness
• Salt
• Optional: 3 Ounces White Melting Chocolate (See Notes Below Recipe)

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How To Make Easy Cranberry Orange Biscotti

Christmas biscotti recipes can sound a bit intimidating, similar to making a cheesecake recipe the first time. Happily, many seemingly “unaccessible” recipes are ridiculously easy and straightforward. So grab a couple of baking sheets, parchment paper, and a fork, for drizzling.

When you are baking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

1. Prepare the biscotti dough and heat the oven to 350° F.
2. Divide the dough into thirds and shape it into logs.*
3. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets until just firm and lightly browned.
4. Cut. As soon as the cranberry orange biscotti is cool enough to touch, cut the biscotti log into slices just under an inch. 
5. Bake again until golden brown and cool on wire racks.
6. Optional: Drizzle with white chocolate or glaze (see below).

Baker’s Tip: Biscotti dough can be tacky when shaping. You can flour or wet your hands to prevent sticking, or use a biscotti baking pan as a convenient hack.

Easy Cranberry Christmas Biscotti Recipe Tips

• You want to keep an eye on the biscotti the first time around. Your cranberry orange biscotti logs must be just firm and lightly browned. 
• Biscotti cookies are ready to slice when cooled to the point you can handle them without burning your fingers. The biscotti will crumble if they are too hot; if they cool too much, they become harder to slice through.
• Slice cranberry orange biscotti using a serrated edge knife with as few smooth sawing motions for the best-textured cut. 
• A crosswise cut makes short biscotti cookies. To make longer cranberry orange biscotti, slice them at an angle. The steeper the angle, the longer the individual slices.
• Use melting chocolate (like almond bark) or wafers to drizzle on the biscotti when you can. If you want to work with white chocolate chips, no problem! Although they don’t melt well, adding a little shortening to the chips before you melt them resolves the issue for a smoother consistency to drizzle over cranberry biscotti.

Storing Cranberry Orange Biscotti

Cranberry Christmas biscotti keep nice and crisp for a month when stored in an airtight container due to low moisture. However, biscotti biscuits stored before they are completely cool will soften. Check out the FAQs for a couple of hacks to help keep these twice-baked Italian cookies crisper longer.

Freeze

You can store these twice-baked cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply lay the Italian cookies on a sheet pan and place in the freezer until frozen. Then transfer to an airtight container.

To thaw frozen biscotti. Remove them from the container and let them sit at room temperature to thaw. If they are not quite as hard as they were before freezing, and do not have a chocolate drizzle or icing you can just bake them for the third time.

Heat the oven to 250° and place the cookies standing up on a sheet pan. Place them in the oven and turn the oven off. When the oven has cooled, remove the cookies and they should be crunchy again.

Mailing/Gifting Hack:

You can use a Foodsaver to vacuum pack Christmas biscotti to send in the mail. Depending on the recipient, you can seal multiples, singles, or the whole lot.

Serving Suggestions

There is more than one way to serve this twice-baked Italian cookie! Once you experience crunchy, satisfying cranberry biscotti, you will be impressed with the various beverages and the ways you can enjoy them.

• Go the way of Italia and dip your cranberry biscotti in a rich, sweet red dessert wine.
• Orange cranberry biscotti are phenomenal served as a “garnish” to delish homemade Philadelphia-style vanilla bean ice cream or on yogurt.
• A two-in-one gorgeous and delicious gift idea presented in a reusable airtight bamboo-lidded glass cookie jar. 
• Cranberry orange biscotti can be crushed and used as a tasty and unique crumb crust for cheesecake.

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