Guys, guys! I baked something gluten-free, and it wasn’t accidental!
When it comes to gluten-free baking, I’m a bit of a chicken. My friend Julia over at The Roasted Root (you remember her, I just did a guest post for her on Monday!) is pretty much the queen of all things gluten-free – pancakes, cookies, brownies…she does it all. But me? Um…wheat flour and I have the kind of love you write songs about.
It’s a forever kind of love. I wish I was more sorry.
In case you hadn’t guessed by now, most of my forays into gluten-free baking haven’t gone so well. Taste issues, texture issues…recipes just not turning out issues…it’s a problem. But I wanted to take some holiday cookies into the office this week, and one of my coworkers is gluten-free. I certainly wasn’t going to take in cookies that I couldn’t share with everyone, so I turned to King Arthur Flour’s Baking Sheet to help me face my fears – because if there’s anyone who knows what’s up when it comes to all things baking, it’s the folks at King Arthur.
When I found their recipe for gluten-free biscotti, I just knew it would be perfect for creating these Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti. The combination of the almond flour and the chopped pistachios give them a rich, nutty flavor, while the dried cranberries add a chewy element and a sweetness that balances the salted pistachios. And with only 4 tablespoons of butter in the whole recipe and a bit of Greek yogurt in the dough, these cookies are not as bad for you as others you might be offered this holiday season — you know, relatively speaking.
The best part? Out of every person that ate these cookies, not a single one guessed that they were gluten-free. In fact, they were shocked to find out that they were!
You can’t see me, but I’m taking a bow as we speak.
Just kidding.
Adapted from the Early Spring 2011 edition of the KAF Baking Sheet.
Gluten-Free Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup almond meal
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted and salted pistachios
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries, then add the eggs, yogurt, and extracts, mixing until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
- Divide the dough in half. Using lightly dampened hands, shape each half of the dough into a 12 x 2 1/2-inch parallelogram on one side of the baking sheet; repeat with the other half of the dough. Leave as much space as possible between the two halves, as the dough will expand and spread in the oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the biscotti from the oven; lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees. Allow the biscotti to cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice the rectangles into pieces 3/4-inch wide. Place the pieces back on the baking sheet, standing up. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 40 minutes. Without removing the cookies, turn off the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet in the oven.
- Once cool, cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks, or frozen for longer.
To clarify: I was not compensated by KAF to use or promote their products. I made this recipe using two different GF all-purpose mixes, and the KAF flour turned out much, much better. I really just love their recipes and products!
Yipppyyyyy! Welcome to the wonderful world of gluten free!! These biscotti look outtathisworld. I want them hanging around various parts of my house so I can stumble on them like a treasure hunt. So pretty, fun and festive!!
P.S. The mustache mug has me in stitches! I call the mustache mug forever and always!!
That mug is technically Alex’s…I just steal it for my photo purposes. 🙂 isn’t it great?
Yum! Wish I had one right now to give me the strength to go into work.
I totally am scared to bake GF (and kind of unmotivated) because I also have a passionate affair with wheat flour. Good for you for persevering and creating this yummy cookie!
I just purchased a bunch of GF flours. I’m ready to make this beautiful biscotti recipe. I totally know what you mean about wheat flour–it’s my jam.
There’s just such a comfort in my understanding of the science of traditional baking.
Way to go the GF route on these! Something I’m always afraid to do (and because I, too, love the wheat flour). They look like little bites of perfection!
P.S. Mustache mug = WANT.
That was Alex’s best contribution to our kitchen. It kind of adore it.
O shoot! I wish I would’ve seen this yesterday! I’m hosting a Christmas party tonight and one of my friend’s has celiacs – these would have been perfect. I got a little lazy and ended up with KAF’s GF brownie mix (actually really good) but homemade biscotti would have been 10 times better! Have a great holiday Stephie!
Woo hoo! GF doesn’t have to be scary! These look great, and perfect for dipping into my coffee on a chilly day.