Holiday Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Makes about 3 dozen

2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. whole aniseed
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
¾ cup natural unsalted pistachios (salted and roasted work fine too)
6 oz. white chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Sift first three ingredients into a medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend well.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Mix in lemon peel, vanilla, and aniseed.  Beat in flour mixture just until blended.  Stir in cranberries and pistachios – dough will be sticky.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Gather dough together; divide in half.  Flour your hands and pat each half into a 15-inch log, about 1 ¼ inches wide.  Carefully transfer logs to one of the prepared sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.  Bake logs until almost firm to touch but still pale, about 28 minutes.

Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes.  Maintain oven temperature.  Carefully transfer logs to cutting board, leaving the parchment paper on the baking sheet.  Using a serrated knife, cut logs crosswise into generous ½-inch slices.  Use a sawing motion to start each cut and then apply gentle pressure to finish, this will minimize crumbling.  Place slices, 1 cut side down, on the paper lined sheets.  Bake until firm and pale golden, about 12 minutes per side.  Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

Place the white chocolate in a tall deep bowl and place the bowl over simmering water.  Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.  Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, and do not let any steam get into the bowl (that would make the chocolate seize.)  Remove from over water.  Dip 1 end of each cookie into melted chocolate, tilting bowl if necessary; shake off excess chocolate.  Place cookies on a waxed paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.  (Can be made 5 days ahead.  Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)