This easy and festive Cranberry Lemon Biscotti recipe is perfect for the holidays. A crunchy Italian cookie flavored with lemon, cinnamon, and dried cranberries will be everyone's favorite on the cookie platter!
Cranberry Lemon Biscotti Recipe
Is Christmas really a little over a week away?
Where has the time gone?
I thought it was just Thanksgiving last week?
Obviously, I don't look at the calendar as much as I should and, in my defense, I've been spending all my free time in the kitchen, baking goodies to give away for Christmas.
I had the best intentions to turn this year's holiday baking extravaganza into several recipe posts and have even gone as far as to take photos of all the treats. Then I realized the other day I have absolutely no time to sit down and actually write the posts for these recipes.
What's up with this food blogging business? I've got to make the food, take pics, and write? Geez...well, I guess I could always just post the photos and the recipe and say "Here ya go! Peace out and Merry Christmas!"
...Here ya go! Peace out and Merry Christmas!
Just kidding....
One of my favorite holiday cranberry recipes
During my undergrad college years, I had a wholesale biscotti business, where I sold the Italian twice-baked cookies to local coffee shops and restaurants. One of my best sellers was a cranberry orange one and everyone loved it, especially for breakfast with coffee or tea.
I planned to bake some for Christmas goodies and figured it would also make a great recipe post, until I got out my bottle of orange extract and realized it was empty.
Now, I live exactly 1.5 miles from a grocery store but I'll be damned if I will get in my car IN THE COLD and drive to the store to buy a much needed food item to finishing cooking or baking.
So instead, I substituted a few drops of a food grade lemon essential oil for the orange extract and guess what?
I actually liked it better than the original orange recipe. It's like a lemon poppy seed cookie without the poppy seeds!!
And with cranberries, of course. Yes folks, it's a win-win this holiday season, as long as sugar is involved.
Divide the dough into 2 or 3, shape each into a rectangular loaf and gently pat down the top.
PIN this easy and delicious Cranberry Lemon Biscotti recipe to add to your holiday baking schedule. Also, Santa thanks you in advance for leaving a plate of these out on Christmas Eve.
Cranberry Lemon Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup sweetened dried cranberries , chopped
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup oil (vegetable or canola)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/176C degrees.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the dried cranberries, sugar, oil, and extracts. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix together well, until a dough is formed and is slightly stiff, but still soft.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two equal pieces. Form each dough piece into a small rectangular loaf. Place loaves on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 5 minutes.
- Reduce oven to 300F/148C degrees. Remove slightly cooled biscotti loaves from the pan and cut into 15 (½-¾") slices on the diagonal with a sharp knife. Place the slices back on the baking sheet and bake for additional 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer biscotti to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Store leftover biscotti in an air-tight container for 4-6 weeks.
- Can freeze cooked biscotti for longer storage.
Stacey Demma
Hi Kerri
Would love to try your recipe. I was wondering if I could add some poppy seeds? Your thoughts? If so how much would you suggest?
Thank you
Stacey
Stacey Demma
Forgot to ask ? Can I use fresh lemon juice and zest instead of the extract? If so, how much?
Karrie
Hi Stacey! You can add poppy seeds and I would think 2 tablespoons should be enough. Since it's biscotti and cooked for so long, I'm sure the flavor of the fresh lemon juice won't be strong enough, but you can add the fresh lemon zest (try 1 tablespoon). Hope you enjoy the recipe and please let me know how these additions turn out for you!
Msureen
Can I use craisins instead of cranberry’s. Can’t find cranberry’s right now
Karrie
Absolutely! They are perfect for this recipe!
Gyll Wilson
Hi, could I used butter instead of oil, what would proportions be?
Karrie
Hi! Yes, you can use butter, but I think the recipe turns out better using the oil. You'll need to add 1/3 more of butter for the oil, so 7 tablespoons in all. Please let me know how you like the biscotti!
Denee
Hi Karrie! Made these last week and they were delicious! First time making biscotti. I followed the recipe, and they came out great! Super easy recipe!
Will the biscotti really keep for 6 weeks? I'm participating in an Advents Calendar project and the biscotti would need stay fresh for 5 weeks before the recipients would get to enjoy them.
Karrie
Hi Denee, Thank you and so happy you liked the recipe! Yes, the biscotti will keep fresh if it is kept in an air tight container. The drier the biscotti is, the longer it will stay fresh, as long as all the moisture was cooked out during the second baking. I've frozen the cooked biscotti for longer storage, so that's an option too.
Lauren
Excellent biscotti recipe! It doesn't need all the sugar, as I found it to be sweeter than most biscotti. I'll be putting only ½ c. next time.
Lauren
I also substituted almond extract for the lemon, and it is even better this way I think!
Karrie
Thank you so much Lauren for the review and very glad you liked the biscotti!
Susan
I was recently sent the link for this ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC recipe. As a non cook it was easy to follow, thank you for the pictures. This is truly delicious and no need to wait for Christmas.
Karrie
THANK YOU Susan!!! So glad you liked the recipe! Biscotti is good anytime and I love eating it for breakfast too with coffee or tea. Thanks again for taking the time to review it and happy biscotti baking!
Demeter | Beaming Baker
Karrie, it's so interesting to hear that you had a wholesale biscotti business! How cool is that? Plus, a ton of work, right? Love that you didn't have orange extract, decided to use lemon instead and these turned out even better than the original. Isn't that the best though? Happy accidents and all of that. Meanwhile, I'm still snickering from reading this: "Here ya go! Peace out and Merry Christmas!" LOLOL. I was like, she did it. She did it! Can't wait to see what you whip up this year (yes, I'm aware that it's only May, but still!) Hope you have an awesome week friend! xo
simonacallas
It's so cool to have your own business, congratulations! As for the biscotti, I didn't have the chance to taste them, but they seem delicious. Yours are, for sure I love lemon, I always put it in almost everything I bake
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Thanks Simona! BTW, your vegan chocolate cupcakes are the bomb!! Can't wait to make them
simonacallas
Thank you, Karrie <3 <3 Happy Holidays! <3
Katie Crenshaw
That is SO COOL that you sold your Biscotti in undergrad!!! They must be FABULOUS! They certainly look it.
I am with you, Karrie. I'd be damned before I would hop in the car also… I absolutely hate it when you think you have all your ingredients and find out you are missing that one thing!!! I have mini melt downs like a four year old when it happens! Ofcourse, sometimes that missing ingredient gives me an opportunity to go to the store to grab that missing bottle of wine also… The lemon combination sounds great. Your pictures are beautiful as always! Merry Christmas Dear!!! xoxo!
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Thanks Katie. Ugh, driving to the store is the pits, unless of course one buys wine, then it's a fantastic adventure! Appreciate you opening my eyes to how a trip to the store should be handled and what I'm missing
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks
Biscotti business? As an undergrad? That's impressive! I totally get not wanting to go to the store no matter how close it is. You are a genius on the lemon substitute and you created something even better than you thought! Once I'm in my jammies and baking away there is no getting me out of my house. Especially if I've already started in on the cocktails! Peace out and Merry Christmas, my friend!
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Hells yeah to not gettin' out of the jammies once the jammies are on. I just can't do it! I really like the fact you think I'm a genius on the lemon sub and feel free to continue to think that on anything I do. Merry Xmas to you and yours, my jammies friend xoxoxo
kushi
Oh my! Looks amazingly delicious. I wish I could grab one right now!
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Thank you Kushi! I wish I could give you one right now
GiGi Eats
I don't think I have ever had a biscotti before in my LIFE! How nuts is that?!?!
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That's the nuttiest thing I've ever heard. I'll make a healthy biscotti recipe just for you GiGi so you can make. Sans chocolate, of course.
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I'll take your toot and raise you a toot! These pictures make me want to run downstairs and get double baking! So... you had a biscotti business in college?! That is very cool! I've often thought about making biscotti to sell at Farmers' Markets - and you've already done it! I think that's just fabulous! You rock, girlfriend...like these biscotti!
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Toot toot! Get to baking Girl!!! I wish we lived closer and we could bake biscotti together to sell at the weekend Farmer Market
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four
How cool, Karrie!! I had no idea you owned your own biscotti business! Well, now after seeing these photos, I'm not surprised, as your biscotti looks gorgeousss! Seriously perfect. And the lemon sounds like a lovely swap for the orange!!
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You are so sweet Beeta! xoxoxoxo
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
Whoa....these look truly amazing! I think I could use some of these right now! I guess I'd better get baking...unless you put me on your list and they are coming in the mail!
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Many thanks Kathy! How about you send me some cinnamon rolls and your cranberry bars and I'll send you lots of biscotti
Mahy
Sorry I meant Karrie!
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That's okay Mahy. I get called Karen all the time!
Mahy
Gorgeous photos Karen and such a festive biscotti, I wish I can grab one right out of the screen!
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Thanks Mahy!
Thao @ In Good Flavor
I totally get your refusal to run out to the store to buy one itty bitty ingredient. I would rather MacGyver something at home, even if it ends up creating more work than actually running out to the store in the first place. It's the principle, right? I love your Cranberry Lemon Biscotti!! It's also a perfect baked good gift...it is travel friendly, keeps well, and delicious. And how cool that you had your own biscotti business!!
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OMG, I love that Thao! It's such a MacGyver thing. Biscotti is the best treat to ship because it sees like it never breaks!
Erika @ Love&Custard
Yay!! Ever since you put the photo of these up on Instagram I've been waiting for you to post the recipe! Love the flavours and the photos are lovely 🙂 can't wait to try them! Also, I thought of you yesterday when, as part of a Christmas quiz at work, we had to name a classic Christmas film based on the film poster and I thought - I bet Karrie will know that one! It turned out to be White Christmas. My husband is away this Saturday so I've lined up some baking to do inbetween watching some classic Christmas movies!
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Ha Ha! Thanks and I totally would have known White Christmas!! Were there prizes involved with this quiz? Oooo, I hope you get to watch a bunch of classic movies Saturday! You'll definitely win that holiday quiz next year
Dawn
This looks delicious, Karrie! I could see myself dunking a few of these into some coffee, for sure. I love making/giving away baked goods to family/friends so this biscotti would make an awesome treat to give someone (if they lasted that long, hehehe). I just may have to make a double batch and keep some for myself 🙂
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Thank you Dawn! Everyone likes baked goods as gifts and making a double batch is always a good thing
Heather Wells
Y'all, she has sent me some, and I can guarantee they are amazeballs.
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Thanks Heather and you're amazeballs. BTW, are you sweet talking me so I'll send you some?
Ben Maclain
Oh boy, managing your time and writing the blog posts often is thing (especially around holidays). Perhaps all food bloggers should have personal secretaries:) Love this delicious old good classic. Cranberries and lemon - perfect combo, Karrie!
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Right Ben? It's a hard life out here for a blogger! lol! I see you posted a biscotti recipe too. Great minds think alike, my friend
Gaila
I didn't know you had a biscotti business. I am with Cheyanne, why on earth haven't you sent me some, seriously these biscotti look amazing! Did you make your lemons?? hahaha hugs!
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Hahaha! We should all do a cookie exchange! Thank you Gaila and yes, I made the lemons
Nicoletta @ sugarlovespices
They look awesome Karrie!! I love biscotti, how couldn't I? 😉 Your pics are great and that close up makes me want to grab the cookie from the screen! 🙂 Happy Holidays!!
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Thanks Nicoletta and of course you like biscotti! I'll give you a bunch if you come to Boston. Happy holidays to you too!