I love Biscotti when it is fresh and not hard as a rock, that’s why it is important not to over bake these. I use olive oil instead of butter because I like the texture it gives and the flavor. You can swap out any nut, dried fruit or chocolate chip option you like-some used almonds, dried cranberries or white chocolate. The basic recipe is the same.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup chopped dried cherries
• 1 cup chopped roasted salted pistachios
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Optional extra:

• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 up heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and sugar until well combined then add the paste, zest and extract and stir. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and mox until just combined-don’t overwork. Fold in the cherries, pistachios and chips. The batter will be gooey and sticky.

Turn out the dough on to a parchment lined baking sheet and with a plastic spatula, shape it into a log of sorts. Bake until golden brown and not soft in the middle, around 35 minutes depending on your oven.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes until cooled a bit. Lower oven temp to 300 F. Slice the log into even 1-2 inch slices, whichever you prefer, just try to make them even.

On a clean piece of parchment paper (same sheet is fine), put the biscotti back in the oven for another 10 minutes. You don’t want to over bake them or they will get too dry. Remove from oven and let cool.

Optional extra step:

In a double boiler or in a glass bowl in the microwave, melt the chips and heavy cream, whisking often so it’s smooth and shiny. Dip the ends of the Biscotti in the chocolate and let cool either on wax paper or stacked like Jenga sticks. Make sure they cool completely before serving or wrapping up as a gift.