Sweet Somethings: Cranberry Walnut Biscotti

With Christmas only days away I've kicked my holiday baking into high gear!

This was my first attempt at biscotti and it was actually surprisingly simple.

You will need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts (or any nut you'd like!)

Directions:

• You start by mixing the oil and the sugar together until you get a really creamy paste... I don't know if anyone's ever made pizzelle, but it kind of looks like that. Add the rest of your "wet" ingredients and mix well.
• Next add your flour, salt, and baking powder. I like to "beat" my mixture with a fork. The dough is REALLY soft and I hate trying to un-stick it from the egg beaters.
• Then add your dried fruit and nuts. I chose cranberries & walnuts, but you could use just about anything. You could even throw a little lemon or orange zest in there for some extra fruitiness!

• When you're done mixing in your deliciousness, you're going to form two logs on a parchment lined baking sheet (about 2" wide by 12" long). Don't forget to wet your hands with COLD water, otherwise the batter sticks to you like mad.

• Bake at 300F for about 35 minutes, or until your logs are lightly browned on top.
• Let them cool down for about 15 minutes, then cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 3/4" slices. If you DON'T wait, your biscotti will turn into a crumbly mess - be warned!
• Put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the sides are browned as well...

And voila! Yummy biscotti that you're not paying $2 a piece for!