# 252 Cookie Countdown to Christmas #2 Cranberry Pecan Biscotti

Biscotti de Prato or Biscotti is a simple Italian cookie. There are more than a hundred different ways of baking Biscotti around this season, all delicious and sweet and this one is an easy, no-frills recipe and a twice baked treat to crunch on with a hot cup of coffee. There's something so festive about decorating a Christmas tree with ornaments gathered over a decade but my feet are now hurting after standing up with my daughter (V) and having all that fun. I'm about to snjoy this perfect winter weather-- dunk a couple of Biscotti in the coffee while grazing by the fireplace on the couch with a warm blanket!

Servings: Makes about 30 cookies
Cooking time: 1- 2 hours


Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar, 2 Tblspns more for sprinkling
3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and
fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl
as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until combined. Mix in cranberries, pecans and butterscotch chips.
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into 3 logs 9 inches long and about 2 inches wide, and transfer to prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, flatten logs slightly. Brush beaten egg over surface of the dough logs, and sprinkle generously with sugar.
4. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until logs are slightly firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Transfer logs on parchment
paper to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. 
5. Place logs on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut logs crosswise on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place
a wire rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on rack. Bake until firm to touch, about 30
minutes. Remove pan from oven; let biscotti cool completely on rack.