Friday, December 24, 2010

Naughty Holiday Biscotti (with Cleavage)




Who cares if you're a 36D when your biscotti is a 10.

The way to Santa's heart may be through his stomach, but the old guy isn't blind. So why not show him a great pair? This comely coupling of cranberries and pistachios will have him drooling from his North to South Pole. The festive recipe, adapted from that cleavaged culinarian Giada De Laurentiis, will satisfy on all fronts.

These luscious lovelies are not only busting out with vibrant fruits and nuts, perky lemon zest is front and center too. Giada dips hers in white chocolate, but I say why constrain these babies in unnecessary accoutrements? Show off that strapping pair in all its red and green glory. Let the flavors shine on their own. And while I may not fill out a Wonder Bra like Giada, my biscotti are every bit as
wunderbar as hers. In fact, when I made these last year, a guy called me a "ho" three times. What more could a girl ask for?


Recipe
(adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup dried cranberries (coarsely chopped if you wish)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.


Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. (Note: Make sure to let them cool the full 30 minutes before gently cutting them with a serrated knife or they will break.)


Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.


The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.


Related Link: Orange-Hazelnut Biscotti


16 comments:

  1. You had me rolling with this one. I immediately showed this one to my hubs and he raved about it too. You are so talented!

    We made some flourless pistachio mini biscotti last week at my holiday cookie pachanga.

    Happy Holidays chica and may 2011 be amazing.

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  2. I made a similar biscotti a year ago and love the taste! Love your photos so much you make me want to make them again!

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  3. Haha-- I forget Santa is just a man ;) Beautiful biscotti!

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  4. You are hilarious! Glad that both you and Giada can shout "Wunderbar" from the roof tops. I too would forgo the white chocolate dip - not worth hiding those pretty pieces of pistachio & cranberry. Happy Holidays!

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  5. These are good and you are a funny lady. Happy Christmas!

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  6. These look great! I have been dying to make something pistachio for ages but I haven't gotten around to it. These are getting bookmarked!

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  7. Wunderkind! Who else could bring a bra into a food post so cleverly? Martha has a recipe for pistachio & dried cranberry biscotti that have cornmeal in them. Very tasty, too, and Christmasy-colored. Best wishes!

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  8. Another hilarious post and luscious biscotti!

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  9. Love this post and the recipe! Happy Holidays, Adair!

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  10. Beautiful biscotti and with those looks who needs to "gild the lily"????
    Hilarious post, as always... these biscotti would make a wonderful hostess gift (that is if you could refrain from eating them all...)

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  11. Lol, very cute. :-) I like that you used the word "accoutrements." These are lovely, indeed. Biscotti is definitely on my to-conquer list. Happy New Year!!!

    [K]

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  12. Ladies and bra sizes. Oy! Happy New Year. GREG

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  13. Fabulous! Happy New Year! :-)

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  14. Dying here; so glad I found you, the humor and a fab biscotti...I'm hooked!

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  15. Oh, boy, those little pistachios look good.

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