Cranberry Orange Biscotti

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. Butter, softened or Margarine (I used Earth Balance)

1/2 Cup Sugar

4 Large Eggs or Egg Substitute

1 Tbsp. Orange Zest

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2/3 Cup Dried Cranberries

2/3 Cups Chopped Pecans, lightly toasted

For the glaze

3/4 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar

2-3 tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice (I used juice of half an orange)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar on medium speed until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Continue to beat the mixture for 2 minutes more. Beat in the orange zest and vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. On low speed, mix in the cranberries and the pecans.

Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured work surface, and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a 12-inch log, spacing two of the logs apart on one of the prepared baking sheets and the third log on the second sheet.

Bake the logs for 15-18 minutes, until golden on top and lightly cracked. Transfer the positions of the baking sheets halfway through the baking process. Remove the sheets from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F degrees.

Using a serrated knife, cut each log on the diagonal into 3/4-inch slices. Lay the slices on their sides and return the baking sheets to the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, and enough orange juice to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the warm biscotti, then allow the biscotti to rest until the glaze has set.

Makes 48 Cookies

Calorie per Biscotti: 64.4, Fat: 1.8, Cholesterol: .1, Sodium: 27, Potassium: 30, Carbs: 11, Fiber: .08, Sugar: 5.3, Protein: 1.5