Gluten Free Holiday Biscotti

Holidays always remind me of ‘Mandel Bread’ (or is it mandelbrodt?) the Jewish version of Italian Biscotti. Biscotti actually means twice baked, which gives it that amazing crunchy texture. My grandmother makes THE best mandel bread, always packed with lots of chocolate chips, nuts and of course SUGAR!!! I wanted to make a cookie that will not only look amazing on your Thanksgiving or Christmas table, but will also be a nutritious snack to have with your afternoon tea, or morning coffee.

I know how hard it can be to make food that meets the dietary needs of all your guests, especially when it comes to desserts. If you only have one guest who stays away from gluten and another that can’t eat dairy it can be a nuisance and an expense to provide cakes or pies just for them! You also won’t come off as the best hostess if you don’t provide them with anything at all! So what to do? Making gluten/dairy free desserts on your own will save you lots of money and maybe get you to even make some dietary changes of your own. These cookies are a treat both allergy sufferers and non allergy sufferers can equally enjoy!

Whats great about these biscotti, is that they aren’t SUPER sweet. At first, I thought I would change the recipe to provide more sweetness, but with the dried cranberry and dark chocolate you don’t really need much more. They are packed with slow burning carbohydrates from the oat flour and lots of vitamin e, protein and healthy fats from the almond flour. I also used coconut sugar which is mild in flavour and has a low glycemic index to keep those blood sugar levels stable. You even get some antioxidants from that dark chocolate 😉 Happy Holidays everyone!

Ps. I have been nominated for a Notable Award which recognizes young professionals in Canada. Clean Eating Goddess has been nominated for best blog! If you have enjoyed reading my blog or following me on instagram, facebook or twitter please take a second to vote for me 🙂 I am truly humbled and honoured. Thank you for your continued support, YOU are my inspiration. You can vote by clicking here! You can vote once a day! Now for the recipe…

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour (aka meal, ground almonds)
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 tbsp arrowroot starch (corn or potato starch would work too)
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (add 1/4 cup more if you like a sweeter biscotti)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or tart cherries
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I use 70% cacao chips)
• 1/2 cup pistachios, toasted, roughly chopped pistachios

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and grease. Whisk almond flour, oat flour, arrowroot starch, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat coconut sugar and eggs until pale yellow and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in melted coconut oil and vanilla.
3. With mixer on low speed, beat in flour mixture until just until blended.
4. With a spoon or spatula, mix in dark chocolate chips, cranberries and pistachios.
5.Divide dough in half and turn out onto your parchment lined baking sheet. Wet your fingers and shape each portion into a 10”-long log and flatten each into a 1”-wide strip. Bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.
6.Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. While they are cooling, reduce oven heat to 325°.
7. Transfer strips to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut each strip diagonally into 1/2”-thick slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. Turn cookies over and bake 10 minutes longer (cookies will be slightly soft in the center but will harden as they cool). Transfer biscotti to wire racks and let cool.