Ingredients

• 300g/10½oz plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 120g/4½oz skin-on almonds
• roughly chopped
• 50g/1¾oz dried cranberries
• chopped
• 3 large free-range eggs
• lightly beaten
• 200g/7oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp aniseed extract (optional) or ¼ tsp almond extract
• 1 large orange
• zest only
• 200g/7oz plain chocolate
• 200g/7oz white chocolate
• 100g/3½oz toasted flaked almonds
• crushed
• 100g/3½oz chopped pistachios
• edible glitter (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160F Fan/Gas 4 and line two baking trays with baking parchment.
• For the biscotti
• sift the flour
• salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the biscotti ingredients and mix well.
• Divide the mixture into four and roll into logs around 20cm/8in long. Place two logs on each of the prepared baking trays
• allowing plenty of room for them to spread. Bake for 25 minutes – they should be very pale.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1.
• Cut the logs into slices about 5mm/¼in thick and place back on the baking trays cut-side down. Bake for 15 minutes and then carefully turn over and bake for a further 15 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.
• For the decoration
• melt the chocolates in two separate bowls and put the almonds and pistachios on separate plates.
• Dip the ends of the biscotti in either the plain or white chocolate and then coat with chopped nuts or leave with just a chocolate covering. You can also add a little edible glitter for a real Christmas sparkle.
• Pack into pretty jars or cellophane bags and add a ribbon and a label if desired.