Christmas nibbles - Biscotti

This is a super easy recipe that is great to have on-hand during the holiday season. Its sweet, crispy, fruity and chewy all at once. Pop some into a cellophane bag, add a ribbon and there's a cute little gift that has hand-made love all over it. You can substitute any fruit combo you happen to have in the cupboard, and I have made a non- nut version by just adding more fruit. It can also be very successfully made using gluten-free flour.

Christmas Biscotti 


3 egg whites
a pinch of cream of tartar
100g caster sugar
130g whole peeled almonds
50g walnuts
70g glace cherries 
100g whole cranberries
50g dried apricots - roughly sliced 
50g preserved ginger - roughly sliced
the zest of 1 orange
90g flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Preheat the oven to 180deg. C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.

Beat the egg whites and pinch of cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the caster sugar to the beaten whites a tablespoon at a time, beating well in between each addition. 

Fold in the fruit, nuts, orange zest and vanilla. 

Wash and dry the glaced cherries before adding them, as otherwise the syrup will stain the mixture. 

Lastly, gently fold in the sifted flour. 

Place the mixture into the lined baking dish. 

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through. 

Don't worry about drying it out as it's going to be toasted anyway! 

Once cooked set aside to cool completely. 

Using a bread knife, cut the loaf into thin slices and place them onto a lined baking sheet. 











Bake at 120deg. C until crispy throughout. 

Keep checking them every 10 to 15 minutes as you don't want them to brown!

The biscotti will keep in an airtight container for a couple of weeks. Your visitors will be super impressed with these colourful, fruity treats. 

Happy Holidays!