Orange Cashew Biscotti

A few cookies are left over from Christmas.  Too many cookies, not enough time.  Thankfully biscotti last for a while.  These are a favorite in our house.  They are typically made with pistachios.  Due to the rising costs of pistachios I used cashews this year.  They were good but honestly the pistachios are better.  The nice thing about this recipe is the texture of the biscotti.  It has a nice texture to absorb whatever you are dipping into.  It's porous and light.

I think I may pull out a few of these for the tea party I am having for my daughter.  Doesn't that sound like fun?  I have a few four and five year olds coming over today.  We will decorate hats, play a little and have tea (more like lemonade) and cake.  I will be surrounded by cuteness.  I did a similar party for my older daughter.  You can see some of those pics here.


Orange Cashew Biscotti
Adapted from this recipe at Williams Sonoma

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs. grated orange zest
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unsalted cashews, chopped
In a bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl cream the butter, sugar, orange zest and vanilla. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low, add the cashews and mix in. Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Place a silpat or parchment paper down on a baking sheet.

Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, using lightly floured hands, roll each half into a log 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange the logs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 5 inches apart.

Bake until light brown and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes (the logs will spread during baking). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Leave the oven set at 350ºF.

Using a spatula, carefully transfer the logs to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut on the diagonal into slices 3/4 inch thick. Arrange the slices, cut side down, on the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 36 cookies, depending on how big your cookies are.