Orange & Cranberry Nutty Gluten-free biscotti
TOTAL TIME: 90 mins
MAKES: 1- 1 ½ dozen.
“I insanely love nuts! I’ll eat anything with nuts in it. What’s even better than chocolate, obviously chocolate covered nuts! (That’s a no-brainer). So when I got down to making some biscotti, it had to be loaded. Biscotti’s are traditionally, an Italian, twice baked, crunchy almond biscuits that are paired with Vin Santo, an Italian dessert wine but they are a perfect treat even with a cup of tea or coffee like you would find at any coffee nook!
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup gluten-free flour ( or use all-purpose flour if gluten is not a concern)
- ¾ cup amaranth flour
- ½ cup organic cranberries
- ½ cup mixed sliced nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews)
- zest of an orange
- 1 tbsp. orange juice
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp. freshly ground cardamom
Chocolate dipping sauce (optional)
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 tsp. milk
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and light.
- Now beat in the eggs along with the vanilla extract, orange zest and orange juice.
- Add the gluten free and amaranth flour, baking powder, salt, ground nutmeg and cardamom powder
- Now add in the cranberries and nuts and mix with a spatula to evenly incorporate them into the dough as it comes together.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and with dampened hands (if it’s sticky) shape into a 12-14 inch long log. Flatten until it 3-4 inches wide.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until pale golden and set.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees F and let the log cool. Slice on a slight diagonal using a serrated knife preferably and return to the baking sheet, sitting them upright, spaced at least an inch apart. Return to the oven for 30 mins or until crisp, pale golden and dry.
- Chocolate dipping (optional)
- Melt the semi-sweet chocolate with a teaspoon of milk in the microwave for about 25 secs or on the stove in a double bottom dish. Stir to combine well.
- Once the biscotti’s have cooled off a little, dip them into the chocolate to evenly coat approximately 1/3 of the biscotti and while its still warm and moist sprinkle some nut shavings and set aside on a cooling tray.
HOLISTIC HIGHLIGHTS
Amaranth: is actually a seed (and not a grain) and is native to south and Central America. It is one of my favorite alternative flours to incorporate into my baking recipes. Its sweet nutty flavor is delightful. It is high in protein (almost 26 grams per cup) particularly the amino acid lysine which is an essential amino acid that helps your body to absorb calcium, burn fat and maintain your skin, tendons, bones and cartilage and is also beneficial in the case of cold sores. Besides protein, it’s also high in calcium, B-vitamins, magnesium, zinc, copper and iron. It’s easy to incorporate into your diet, by adding it to soups, breakfast porridge, or post-workout energy bites.
Cranberries: We all rush to grab cranberry juice when we are hit with a bladder infection. Cranberries are a natural intestinal antiseptic and natural components in it keep bacteria such as E.coli from adhering to the bladder cells, and promoting their disposal, thus preventing infection. They contain ellagic acid and anthocyanins which have an anti-cancer effect. but anthocyanins also also [promote formation of visual purple, a pigment present in the eyes that is instrumental in color and night vision. Its high in vitamin c, fiber, minerals and vitamins and phytonutrients. Canning reduces its vitamin C content by almost 86 percent, so use fresh as much as possible.