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Cranberry and Pistachio Greek Biscotti

These Greek Biscotti (Paximadia) are twice-baked for extra crunch. They are also lower in carbs and lower in sugar making them the perfect afternoon treat or special gift (especially for Christmas that is coming up), for family and friends. I have used a combination of flour and almond flour plus pistachios and dried cranberries for the perfect fruity addition. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

When you try traditional paximadia, made from scratch, it will blow your mind. They are absolutely delicious and best eaten dunked in coffee or tea. Some may say they are similar to biscotti but what makes them quite different is they are usually less sweet, more crunchy, and baked twice. Many recipes add almonds, some use anisette, some with cinnamon. You may also see them with baked sesame seeds sprinkled over the top. There are many versions of paximadia, and it all depends upon your family’s recipe.

Here I have not shared my mum's traditional recipe but instead my personal, gluten-free, less sugar and lower in carbs recipe. It is my go-to recipe when I want to have a sweet treat with my afternoon tea (or even my morning coffee) that is perfectly just right.

Before we get to the details of the recipe, here are a few tips and options for you, and be sure to watch my video below to see how easy it is to make!

TIPS AND VARIATIONS:

Can I use traditional sugar and flour in this recipe? Yes you can. The result will be similar. It will be a little less crumbly but the flavour and end result will be the same.
Do I need to use baking paper to roll the log? Yes, especially if you are using gluten-free flour. This helps the dough stay together.
Does the dough need to cool after the first baking? Definitely! Due to the use of almond flour, be patient and allow the log to cool as slicing too soon will cause the pieces to crumble. Also, make sure you are using a thin serrated knife.
Can I swap ingredients or make changes? Unfortunately, I can not guarantee the paximadia will stay together if you swap eggs for vegan eggs or coconut oil for butter. I always encourage you to experiment but I can not inform you whether it will work out as I have not tried it before.
Can I leave out the nuts or dried fruit and swap with something else? Yes, You can leave them out entirely or swap them for sultanas and crushed walnuts or finely chopped apricots and crushed almonds.

And now it’s time to start cooking! As always, if you make any of my recipes, I would love to hear your feedback. Don’t forget to save it on your Pinterest board as well! I have a board named CreateCookShare that you can follow and save. Can’t wait to hear from you.

Be well and keep on cooking, Margaret x

Cranberry and Pistachio Greek Biscotti

Prep: 15 minutes

Cooking:50 min

Cooling: 1 hour +

Makes: 30 biscotti

200g or 1 ½ cups self-raising flour, sifted (gluten-free), optional to use wheat flour

180g or 1 ½ cups almond flour

100g or 1/3 cup Monk Fruit Sugar or Coconut Sugar (optional to use caster sugar)

70g Dried Cranberries (I used Ocean Spray Craisins 50% Less Sugar Dried Cranberries)

70g Pistachios, roughly chopped

3 eggs, whisked

60g or 3 tablespoons coconut oil, measured solid

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Chocolate Dipped

200g Dark Chocolate (dairy free optional)

Sea salt flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

2. In a bowl and using a spatula combine the flour, almond flour, and monk fruit sugar. Then add the whisked eggs, vanilla, and melted coconut oil. Bring it together until it forms a soft dough. Finally, add in the cranberries and pistachios and using your hands gently kneed until they are combined well in the dough.

3. Separate the dough into two and form two flattened logs. It may be helpful to do this on a sheet of baking paper and fold the baking paper over the dough to use it in assisting to roll the dough into shape. Each log should be approximately 18cm long x 7cm wide x 2cm high.

4. Gently mark with a knife each slice of biscotti on the log making sure you only mark and do not cut more than one-fifth of the way in. The mark should be made every 1.5cm apart. Do not slice closer as the biscuits will be too crumbly to slice once cooked. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

5. Turn the oven off, remove the tray from the oven and allow the loaf to cool for 30 minutes. Then using a sharp knife, carefully slice the loaf into the individual biscotti. Hold the biscotti piece you are slicing at each end with your fingertips to keep it from crumbling whilst slicing. Handle the slices with care.

6. Place them onto the baking tray once again and bake at 160C fan-forced preheated oven for 20 minutes, carefully flipping them over halfway through.

7. Once this is done, turn off the oven, leave the tray in the oven and allow them to cool in there for an hour. This is the process that makes them crispy. Then remove from oven.

8. Once they are completely cool, then dip each biscotti halfway into melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip odd. Place on baking / waxed paper until set. Optional to sprinkle a little sea salt flakes. Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Note: Chocolate can be melted in a microwave or on the stove in a heat-proof bowl that fits over a pot with boiling water.