Reviewed: May 26, 2002

I didn't have some of the ingredients on hand the first time I made these biscotti, and now that I've made about 30 batches for everyone I know this way, I don't think I'll ever use the original recipe. I substituted 1/4 tsp lemon extract for the orange zest, added more white chocolate chips, and about 1/2 a cup toasted almonds instead of pistachios. I top the biscotti logs before I bake them with egg white or milk, and sprinkle with granulated sugar and chopped almonds. They look and taste better than store bought.

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120 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

JODICAH

Reviewed: May 5, 2003

These were wonderful. Only criticism I have was that the two three-inch logs make a small number of somewhat clunky biscotti. Next time I'll bake them in three two-inch logs instead, to yield a larger number of smaller cookies.

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66 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

JOHNTHEBEAR

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

Living In: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reviewed: Jan. 27, 2003

I apologize for my skepticism, these are amazing! My Italian grandma was the all-time world champion biscotti maker. But these are the best modern twist on Grandma's biscotti that I can imagine! They are VERY easy to make (used Kitchen Aid mixer), wonderfully flavored, excellent texture, smell divine! Used 1/2 tsp orange extract in place of the zest; had only 1/2 C pistachios, so I added slivered almonds too. These will be a PERMANENT addition to my files!

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59 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

kim*designer

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Washington, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Jul. 6, 2003

Excellent biscotti! I have never made biscotti before but was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy the recipe was. Not only are these better than store-bought ones (which always tend to be a little harder than I like), they're also a lot cheaper too! This is an absolutely delightful snack that I will keep as a staple in my kitchen. The only difficulty I encounter was cutting the log since the center part tend to crumble & break (even with a very sharp knife); I also went ahead & spread some melted chocolate on the flat side of the biscotti to give it more of a flavor. These are definitely keepers!

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Reviewer:

COASTALSUM

Reviewed: May 6, 2005

This is an oustanding recipe - directions are very clear and precise, and the result is a crunchy, flavorful cookie that goes well with coffee as well as hot tea (am thinking of having it with some peach herbal tea). Some notes: Unlike other biscotti recipes I've made, this dough did not have a tendency to crack in the oven or crumble when slicing (I always use a serrated knife) - a big reason why this will become a staple baked good for our house. Substitutions: splenda for white sugar, and used orange-essence cranberries to pick up the flavor of the zest. Also, suggested baking time was a bit long for my oven - did 27 minutes for first bake, and only 10 for second. Thanks for a fabulous recipe!!

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31 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

CORINTHE

Reviewed: Jan. 21, 2004

I just can't believe how good these biscotti turned out. The orange zest added SO MUCH to them, I can't imagine making them without it. I made one batch as-is: FANTASTIC. I made another batch using toasted coconut, white chocolate, and slivered almonds as the "fillings," and they, too, were out of this world. I think that the base of this biscotti recipe is a great base for a multitude of variations, and I can't wait to experiment more. Thanks so much for such a great recipe!

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Reviewer:

allison125

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Dec. 22, 2001

Love this combination. Added drizzled white chocolate for gift biscotti. Found that an electric knife cuts the half-baked biscotti like butter, eliminating all crumbling. Baked mine a bit longer as I like "dunkers."

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27 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

PEGGY DENNEN

Reviewed: Dec. 20, 2008

I made both the Spring Biscotti and the Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti from this site. I was worried about using olive oil instead of butter. To make a direct comparison I used the same amount of craisins (3/4 cup) and pistachios (3/4 cup) in each recipe. I also eliminated any flavorings other than almond and vanilla (ie: omitted orange flavoring). Honestly there was little difference between the oil and the butter. The Spring Biscotti with the butter was a little crunchier and a little easier to work with/cut. The Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti with the oil stuck to the parchment paper a little and was a little more delicate to cut without crumbling. However, the end result was a little softer than the spring biscotti. Either recipe is 5 star. I can't decide which one I will make again as they were so similar but I don't think I can go wrong!

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Reviewer:

Sarah

Reviewed: Jul. 2, 2003

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...yummy. These biscotti are absolutely fantabulous! I used almond extract instead of the vanilla and didn't put any nuts but they were still divine! And so easy to make! Excellent recipe!

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20 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

HALLY G.

Reviewed: Jun. 2, 2003

This was a terrific recipe! I shared these with friends and they all raved about how delicious they were and the fact that they were crispy, but a little softer inside (unlike typical biscotti). The orange zest adds a wonderful, fresh flavor which goes so well with the crunchy nuts and chewy/tangy craisins. I couldn't find shelled pistachios, so I rough chopped 1 c of whole almonds instead. I think I actually prefer the almonds to pistachios anyways. I will definitely be making these again!

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18 users found this review helpful