Recipe: Pistachio Craisin Biscotti/Mandelbrot

Recipe submitted by Sheila Kalish Fechter, Baltimore.

The craisins and pistachios give this biscotti a lovely holiday look, but they would be perfect for dipping in a cup of tea or coffee any time of year.

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

2 2/3 cup unbleached flour, plus more for working dough

1 1/2 cup whole pistachios, shelled

1 cup Craisins (sweetened dried cranberries)

Beat together sugar and eggs. Add oil, vanilla extract and cinnamon (if using).

Add baking powder to flour. Alternate adding flour mix, pistachios and Craisins until fully blended.

Divide dough in half, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate in sealed plastic bag 2-3 hours.

Take out dough, unwrap, put dough on floured board and work flour into dough until no longer sticky.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into about five logs, approximately 12 inches long by 3 inches wide. (Make thinner logs for shorter biscotti pieces.) Flatten.

Bake 15-20 minutes until slightly brown. Take out of oven. Slice each log and carefully turn on pieces on their sides in same direction. (You may need a third baking sheet for overflow.)

Bake 5 minutes, then turn the pieces and bake their other sides 5 minutes more.

Let cool. Store in containers. Freezes well.

Makes approximately 64 pieces.