Spiced Cherry Biscotti

Twice-baked Italian biscotti in a holiday-ready version. The signature cherry-red flecks come from candied cherries, cut into pieces and folded into the almond-studded dough. Nutmeg in both the dough and the sugar topping gives the finished cookie a warm, slightly festive fragrance.

Biscotti dough is stiffer than typical cookie dough, almost closer to bread. Shaping it by hand into logs (the recipe’s “rolls") is easier if your palms are lightly coated in cooking spray or oil. Otherwise the dough sticks relentlessly and the logs come out uneven.

The brushing of milk and nutmeg-sugar sprinkle before baking is the decorative touch that puts these above plain biscotti. The milk glaze helps the sugar cling and caramelize lightly in the oven, giving the crust a subtle sweet-spice snap.

Pro Tips

• True biscotti get a second bake. Slice the baked logs diagonally into ¾-inch pieces, then return to the oven at 325°F (160°C) for 10 minutes per side. This is what gives biscotti their signature dry, dunk-in-coffee texture.
• Toast the almonds lightly in a dry pan before chopping. Raw almonds hide inside the dough. Toasted almonds deepen the whole cookie.
• Use a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion to slice the baked logs. Pressing with a straight blade crumbles the edges.
• Store in an airtight container and they keep for weeks. Actually crisper on day 3 than day 1.

Variations

• Swap candied cherries for dried cranberries and pistachios for a slightly less sweet holiday look.
• Add a quarter cup of mini chocolate chips alongside the cherries for chocolate-cherry biscotti.
• Dip one end of each cooled biscotti in melted dark chocolate for a bakery-style finish.