When I was a little girl, I remember my great-aunt coming over to our apartment to make cookies with my grandmother.
I can still smell the anise filling the air as they worked. At the end, I was able to take a sample from their filled tins of biscotti.
My son loves these Italian treats. Every time we walk into a bakery you would think he would be looking for chocolate chip cookies or brownies, but no.
He always asks if they carry biscotti.
Maybe his great-grandma is looking down on him and whispering in his ear.
No desserts will ever be as good as hers, but I can sure try!
My recipe is a sweet variation to the traditional anise flavor, using aromatic vanilla extract, vibrantly green pistachios, and chunks of dried fruit like cherries and raisins.
You can use your favorite nuts or dried fruits to create your own special flavor combinations.
If you want to add a chocolaty flavor, these twice-baked delights are delicious dipped or drizzled with chocolate ganache glaze, or covered in cocoa fudge frosting.
They would also be extra delicious covered in a freshly made spiced glaze!
Enjoy these sweet memories with me – I share my recipe below!
The Recipe
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 14 cookies | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 50 minutes | 30 minutes |
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- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 stick unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dried cherries chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins chopped
- 3/4 cup pistachios chopped
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat until everything is completely incorporated.
- Fold in the dried cherries, raisins, and pistachios.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Form it into a log shape.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature of the oven to 300°F.
- Place the cooled log on a cutting board. Cut into diagonal, 3/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices back to the baking sheet, cut side down. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Information*
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prep
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease or line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Gather all of the ingredients and tools/equipment you will need for this recipe.
If needed, soften the butter in the microwave.
Using a sharp knife on a sturdy cutting board, chop the dried cherries, raisins, and the pistachios.
Step 2 – Make the Dough
Combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until combined and lightly whipped. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully combined.
Add the dry mix into the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until everything is completely incorporated, and a thick dough forms.
Mix in the cherries, raisins, and pistachios on low speed.
Step 3 – Shape the Dough
Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan. Form the dough into a long, narrow log shape in the center of the sheet pan, about 13 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and 3/4 inch thick.
Step 4 – First Bake and Oven Adjustments
Bake for 30 minutes. Promptly remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Lower the temperature of the oven to 300°F.
Step 5 – Cut
Once the log has cooled, cut it into diagonal 3/4-inch-thick slices using a serrated knife. Place the cut slices back on the sheet pan, leaving a little space in between each slice.
Step 6 – Second Bake
Bake in the oven for an additional 20 minutes, or until they are hard and crispy. Remove from the oven, and let cool on a cooling rack until they have cooled completely.
Step 7 – Serve
After they have cooled, serve! You can also cover them with chocolate for an extra special treat.
A Sweet Treat, with Even Sweeter Memories
It may not be exactly how my great-grandmother made them, but my recipe for biscotti is still a delicious taste of nostalgia!
With vanilla, nutty pistachios, and chewy dried cherries and raisins, my variation is full of amazing flavors and textures with every crispy bite.
Cover them in chocolate, or dip them in your morning coffee – however you enjoy them, you’ll be sure to shout “That’s amore!” when eating this Italian specialty.
Need another tasty recipe to serve along with your coffee or tea? These German-style Amerikaner cookies are a pretty treat and perfect accompaniment to any beverage.
Do you have any desserts that bring back sweet memories? Maybe you have a favorite chocolaty biscotti or classic anise variation that you like instead. Share your story in the comments below!
Also, don’t forget to check out all of our dessert and cookie recipes now!
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Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published August 2nd, 2015. Revised and updated September 4th, 2017, with additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Jennifer Swartvagher
Jennifer is an experienced journalist and author. Her work has been featured on TODAY Parents, The New York Times Blog, BlogHer, Scary Mommy, and scores of other parenting and cooking publications.
These look really good. Very colorful and crunchy. I’ve never made anything like this. It would be a great gift to put together for holidays or whatever. I can think of quite a few people that will love these. Good for breakfast or dessert.
These cookies do make a nice presentation and are perfect for gift giving.
I’ve always loved biscotti, as well as anisette toasts and anisette sponge cookies. These sound like a nice treat, since they have the fruit and nuts in them, as well. I always thought they’d be somewhat difficult to make. I did try a recipe last year at Christmas, but it didn’t turn out right, but yours sounds manageable, and I’m looking forward to making these soon.
I have had this type of treat in the past with chocolate drizzled on it. I have never tried making this cookie before so I hope it turns out right. I recently bought some dried cranberries and have been snacking on them. I wonder how they would taste in this recipe. Who would have thought to bake a cookie twice?
Dried cranberries are delicious and would work well in this recipe.
My dad typically buys the pack of biscotti at Walmart, so I have not had fresh biscotti in my entire life. I would love to try homemade biscotti, especially with pistachios (they are one of my favorite kinds of nuts). This would also be a wonderful recipe when having guests over for coffee or tea. Thank you for the article!
Oh yummy, these do look good! I have bookmarked this recipe to make, lol. They look so festive, a great look for Thanksgiving and Christmas. As a matter of fact, I don’t have a good biscotti recipe to add to my cookie collection…do now!
I’ve had biscotti before, but they were usually one flavor like chocolate and such. This, however, is the first time I’ve seen it look like a fruitcake which I guess is the intention. While the recipe looks quit delicious, I’m afraid I would have to omit the pistachios since I can’t stand eating them. Would substituting them for other nuts like almonds ruin the recipe itself?
You can substitute with almonds (or whichever nut is your favorite to bake with.)
What a colourful cookie. I like biscotti but I have never seen this combination. It’s a great twist for the summer. You were very lucky to grow up with an Italian grandmother!
I was blessed to grow up with my Italian grandmother — lots of love and many delicious recipes to pass down to my children.
These look delicious. I have made biscotti in the past, but I’ve never thought of adding fruit and nuts! How do you think cashews would taste in these? Or maybe hazelnut. I love all the possibilities of this recipe, so simple and obviously yummy. Thanks for sharing the story about your family as well. Food is such a close link to memories!
Hazelnuts are a favorite of mine. I think most dried fruits and nuts work in this recipe. Let me know what combinations you come up with.
These are among my favorite cookies. I love mine with tea, so I bet this fruity variety would be extra delicious. I’ve never made my own, so this looks like a perfect opportunity!
Yet another recipe to add to my cook book. I think I would love these cookies. I would want to switch the pistachio nuts with walnuts or peanuts though.
As soon as I opened this page, I knew that I had to copy this recipe to make. 🙂 They look absolutely fabulous. I’m sitting here right now with a hot coffee on my desk and not a thing to have with it. If I’d have the ingredients, I’d make them tonight!
Is there any way that I could get the nutritional information for this recipe?
Those REALLY remind me of a Polish fruit cake, called keks. It’s a sponge cake with a lot of dried fruits inside!
It’s quite good, if you like cakes that are sort of dry on the inside.
I really like your family story… Thank you for sharing it. I’m sure that your grandmother is proud of you 🙂
There’s a decent cup of coffee on my desk right now, and I could definitely have one of these – as in R-I-G-H-T now! While I love chocolate chip cookies, I will have no problem ditching them right now for this Biscotti Cookies. I’ve never had Italian cookies in my life! I don’t know if they make perfect fit, but I can see myself eating these with Spaghetti in Marinara Sauce.
I remember being a young girl, and my grandmother would always have a batch of cookies very similar to the way these look. They were the best cookies I have ever had, and since she has passed, I haven’t had any. I have spent hours trying to look for the recipe she used, with no luck, though these sound about right. Im going to have to make a batch and try them and find out!
What a great treat! Dried and candied fruit tends to show up around the holidays, so this is a great time to make these. Has anyone thought to try them with crystallized ginger? It has a sugary, spicy taste and a chewy texture. I think these would also be great with a nice cup of tea or hot apple cider.
It really looks amazing and delicious. I cannot wait to try this recipe at home. Thanks for posting.