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Almond Biscotti with cranberries and chocolate chips

This biscotti contains whole wheat pastry flour in place of some of the all-purpose flour to create a healthier cookie. The almonds, cranberries, and chocolate make this cookie extra special.

Biscotti are naturally low fat so can be a great choice as an occasional sweet for anyone. Since they are very crisp as well, they take a little longer to eat than most cookies which helps you to feel satisfied with just one or perhaps two. Whole wheat pastry flour is much softer than regular whole wheat flour and is a good substitute for white flour. Whole wheat pastry flour can be found at most health or natural food stores, and you can buy an organic brand to try. Substitute just half of the white flour in the recipe with the whole wheat so the biscotti will retain the characteristics that a good biscotti should. Add dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and toasted almonds and ended up with a great tasting biscotti that is just a little healthier than most.

3 Large Eggs

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Toasted Slivered Almonds

3/4 Cup dried Cranberries

3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, or lightly grease. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Add 1 cup of the all-purpose, 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour, salt and baking powder. Stir well to combine. Add the almonds, cranberries, and chocolate chips. Add enough of the remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour to create a dough that can be formed into logs. Divide the dough into two parts, and shape them into logs about 12 inches long. You may find wetting your hands will help the dough from sticking too much. Bake the biscotti logs for about 35 minutes, or until the logs have risen and are lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degreesF.

Using a serrated knife, cut the logs on a slight diagonal angle into slices that are 1/2 inch thick. Place the slices flat on the baking sheet, and bake an additional 15 minutes, turning the cookies over halfway through the baking period. Allow the cookies to cool at room temperature. They will crisp up as they cool. Store in an airtight container.

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