Cranberry Almond Biscotti

This year, my aunt was hosting Thanksgiving dinner at her house. She was doing all the heavy lifting with the turkey, gravy, potatoes, vegetables, and various other side dishes. The least my mom and I could do was to bring over some cranberry almond biscotti for the coffee and tea portion after dinner. I know, it just doesn't sound fair!

We made one batch of biscotti with Robin Hood's All-Purpose flour and the other using the Omega-3 & Fibre flour blend.

The Omega-3 & Fibre is an all purpose flour blend made from whole wheat flour and flax seeds. We're just trying to insert some goodness after the heavy Thanksgiving meal!

Aside from what the flours are composed of, the most obvious difference between the two flours is the colour. You get white with All-Purpose and a light brown or beige with the Omega-3 & Fibre.

Cranberry Almond Biscotti
Makes about 18-20 biscotti

3/4 cups of almonds
1/2 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups of All-Purpose flour or Omega-3 & Fibre flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of cranberries
1 large egg
2 tablespoons of water

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F).
2. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake in the preheating oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Flip at the 5 minute mark to evenly toast the other side of the almonds. Remove from the oven and cool.
3. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix briefly.
4. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix on low until combined. Add in the cranberries and give it a short mix (less than a minute).
5. Using a spatula, mix in the almonds until it is evenly distributed into the batter. 
6. Divide the dough in two and place it on a silicone mat or parchment paper over a cookie sheet. Shape the dough into a log about 3 inches wide and 10 inches long.
7. Whisk the one egg with the water and use a pastry brush to coat the top and sides of the logs with the egg wash.
8. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top is firm. Remove from the oven and carefully flip the biscotti over and place it back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
10. Carefully transfer the logs to a cutting board and using a serrated knife, cut the log into even slices.

Enjoy with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate!

The photos above depicts the biscotti that used the All-Purpose flour, notice the lighter colour. The photo below shows the Omega-3 & Fibre biscotti in a darker colour tone. The flavours are also noticeably different, but I liked it! Mom didn't, claiming that she detected bitterness and found it more difficult to work with as the dough was stickier. I rather enjoyed the taste (not bitter to me, in fact, it tasted sweeter) of the biscotti made with the Omega-3 & Fibre, but maybe it's because I liked thinking that I was eating something healthy!

Disclaimer: The new Robin Hood Nutri Flour Blend varieties were sent to us for review. All opinions are our own.