Taking inspiration from the classic German holiday bread, Stollen, this delicious Christmas Biscotti recipe is studded with dried fruits, nuts, spices and of course, a log of marzipan or almond paste. Easy to make and incredibly festive, this biscotti is the perfect food gift for the holidays.
Table of Contents
About the Recipe
This Christmas Biscotti is inspired by Stollen, a yeasted German Christmas bread packed full of dried fruit, nuts and almond paste. We’ve loaded up crunchy biscotti with all the fixings, including the star of the show—a log of almond paste running down the middle.
Each bite of this biscotti is a bit different. Some are super crunchy while others are a bit chewy thanks to the dried fruit and/or almond paste.
What is Biscotti?
Biscotti is a twice-baked Italian cookie or biscuit that’s first baked as a log (or loaf) before being sliced and baked again until dried out and crunchy. This recipe is packed with dried fruit and nuts for Christmas, but traditionally it’s flavored with anise, hazelnuts and/or almonds.
These crunchy cookies are often served with espresso or dessert wine—something to dip the cookie in!
Ingredient Notes
Flour
We love making biscotti with a combo of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour. To keep the texture in check we use whole-wheat pastry flour. If you’re hesitant about stocking up on whole-wheat pastry flour, you’re in the right place—we’ve got tons of recipes that use it! Try our super chewy Chocolate Chip Walnuts Cookies, delicious Sweet Potato Bread, Lemon Blueberry Bread and our fan-favorite Lemon Blueberry Muffins.
Dried Fruit
We use a combination of dried apricots, currants and raisins, but feel free to use any dried fruit you like or have on hand. Just be sure to dice any large pieces of fruit like dried apricots, dates, or prunes. Some other options that would be delicious include dried cherries, blueberries, and cranberries.
Marzipan or Almond Paste
You can use either for this recipe, but we prefer almond paste since it tends to be easier to find in the US. You can also buy almond paste online.
Variations
- Try a combination of dried cranberries and pistachios for a very festive red and green Christmas biscotti.
- Add a simple glaze. Our orange glaze is a great option, or for something a little less intense, use our Gingerbread Cookie icing.
- Add a dash of ground cloves and cinnamon instead of cardamom for a warmer-spiced biscuit.
- Keep it simple with just dried cherries and almonds. Drizzle or dip the biscotti with dark chocolate before serving.
More Christmas Cookies to Try
- Once you’ve gotten your fill of crunchy biscotti, try our uber-chewy Hermit Cookies which are also filled with dried fruit.
- If you love a spiced cookie, our Cardamom Cookies and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies are both must-try treats.
- Another Christmas favorite are our Eggnog Cookies. Fun and festive!
- For something less spiced and far from chewy, try our Crisp Peppermint Chocolate Cookies.
FAQs
Yes, you can freeze biscotti. Transfer biscotti to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before enjoying.
Stored in and airtight container at room temperature, biscotti will last up to 2 weeks, but is best enjoyed within 1 week.
Stored in an airtight container in the freezer, biscotti will last up to 2 months.
A classic tea or coffee treat, biscotti is great served with any warm drink. It also makes a great mid-morning snack.
When making biscotti, the first bake cooks the dough through, which allows it to be cut) and jump starts the browning process. The second bake is essential for creating crunchy cookies that are equally golden brown and equally cooked through.
Christmas Biscotti
Description
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (160g) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups (144g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
- ¾ cup (97g) slivered almonds
- ½ cup (82g) dried apricots, diced
- ½ cup (64g) currants
- ½ cup (72g) golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons candied ginger, diced (optional)
- 3 large eggs (150g)
- ½ cup (113g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh orange zest
- 4 ounces marzipan or almond paste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (176ºC) with rack set in middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and nutmeg; set aside.
- Combine almonds, apricots, currants, raisins, and candied ginger; set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar together on medium speed until light in color and thick, 3 minutes. Add vanilla and zest and beat to combine.
- Reduce speed to low, gradually add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add nut and fruit mixture and mix on low speed just until combined, about 10 seconds.
- Transfer two-thirds of dough to prepared baking sheet. Form into a 10-inch long by 3-inch wide log.
- Form a slight indentation down length of log, slightly off-centered.
- Roll almond paste into a 9-inch log. Transfer almond paste to indentation, lightly press down into dough and slightly press sides of dough up sides of almond paste.
- Scoop remaining dough over top of log, being sure all of almond paste is adequately covered. With damp fingers, gently smooth top and sides of log.
- Bake biscotti log until lightly crisp and golden brown, 30–35 minutes. Remove log from oven and cool on sheet 10 minutes; reduce oven to 300°F.
- Transfer slightly cooled log to a cutting board and cut log into ½ inch-thick slices using a serrated knife. Arrange slices on sheet in a single layer, cut side down, and bake until golden brown, 40–45 minutes, flipping slices halfway through. Let slices cool completely on baking sheet.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe article was originally published on December 22, 2018.
These are so festive and fun for the holidays! The pocket of marzipan is such a treat! I gave one batch to neighbors and friends and kept another for myself.
Anything with marzipan is good, right?! 🙂 I’m glad you tried them AND shared some!
Can I use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour I can find the wheat flour.
Hi Patricia! We haven’t tested this with only all-purpose flour, but it should fine! I would recommend using 305 total grams of all-purpose flour. Let us know how it goes! We love this recipe.