Biscotti makes a fabulous gift, especially when added to baskets with mugs or cute plates. This recipe will make enough for the Christmas cookie exchange and be the hit of the party. Giving biscotti on a vintage platter or thrifted holiday plate is fun too. It is really easy to make, and just takes a bit of time.
As usual, collect all your ingredients in a mis-en-place.
Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Mix first four ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
Zest the orange directly into the batter. Put the remainder of the orange aside for another use.
Add Amaretto and vanilla to batter and mix well. If you don’t care to use Amaretto, you can substitute apple cider for it. Add flour mixture one cup at a time, with mixer on slowest speed.
Remove bowl from mixer stand if using one. Add blueberries by mixing in by hand.
Drop by spatula-full onto prepared baking sheet in two rows. This is a really sticky dough, so use a spoon or knife with your spatula and not your fingers. Well, unless you like sneaking a bit of dough while you are baking.
Smooth with the spatula into two long log shapes.
Bake at 350º for 20 minutes, turning the sheet around after the first 10 minutes for even browning. Remove from oven, loaves will be lightly browned and risen.
Set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300º while loaves cool.
Using a serrated knife, cut loaves into biscotti.
Replace on baking sheet with the cut sides exposed on both sides. Bake at 300º for an additional 15 minutes until lightly browned.
Place on a rack to cool completely, about one hour.
In a microwave safe cup or bowl, melt the chocolate by microwaving on medium high for 15 seconds at a time, stirring between each time. Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over biscotti. Place back on cooling rack and allow chocolate to cool and set.
Store in an airtight container, will keep well for about a week.
Orange Biscotti with Blueberries
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1 whole orange
3 tablespoons Amaretto liquor
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounce package of dried blueberries
4-6 ounces chocolate candy melts
Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Mix first four ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Zest the orange directly into the batter. Put the remainder of the orange aside for another use. Add Amaretto and vanilla to batter and mix well. Add flour mixture one cup at a time, with mixer on slowest speed. Remove bowl from mixer stand if using one. Add blueberries by mixing in by hand.
Drop by spatula-full onto prepared baking sheet in two rows. Smooth with the spatula into two long log shapes. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes, turning the sheet around after the first half of time. Remove from oven, loaves will be lightly browned and risen. Set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 while loaves cool.
Using a serrated knife, cut loaves into biscotti. Replace on baking sheet in the same way, with the cut sides exposed on both sides. Bake at 300º for an additional 15 minutes until lightly browned. Place on a rack to cool completely, about one hour.
In a microwave safe cup or bowl, melt the chocolate by microwaving on medium high for 15 seconds at a time, stirring between each time. Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over biscotti. Place back on cooling rack and allow chocolate to cool and set.
Store in an airtight container. They will keep well for about a week.
Download the pdf – Orange Biscotti With Blueberries
If you love biscotti, try my Cranberry Eggnog Biscotti for another holiday treat. And try my Christmas Vanilla Sugar Cookies if you need a bigger batch. If you love cookies but don’t need a lot, try my Just A Dozen Sugar Cookies for a small batch.
Do you like to give baked goodies for gifts?
From My Carolina Home 
Thank you. This looks like it will convert to GF easily. I’m going to try!
I have never made biscotti… I may have to give this a try real soon! Thank you for your fabulous tutorial! Happy Thursday to you!
Carole, I love biscotti especially with my bold coffee. Thank you for sharing the recipe and Happy Thursday!
I love biscotti, never made any but will try this. Thank you.
I love making this and make a batch almost every year for my daughter and son in law – they love it and I make some for me too
Thanks for the recipe and tutorial. It sounds delicious.
Both of these biscotti recipes look delightful! Can’t wait to try them! Thank you!
I didn’t think there was another way to make biscotti. Chicago is a strong Italian city and they take their pastry very seriously. Theses look so good I can almost smell them! Thanks again!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you so much.
Carmen
Hello Carole, We were given a boxed version of Biscotti quite a few years ago in a gift basket. Neither one of us had even heard of them, but we followed the directions on the box and made them. We were not impressed and even the dogs would not eat it. LOL. I doubt that I do try your recipe, Carole, due to the fact that hubby is so picky at times and I am afraid if I even mentioned the name…well or when he saw what they were he would not try them. Again LOL at just the fun thoughts. I always enjoy reading your recipes and usually do try them! Well, I am off to do a day of I am not sure at all. I hope that you have a fantastic day!
In my house we call these biscuits “Mandel Bread”
https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/bubbie-ruths-mandel-bread/
It is very dry and I slather it in butter, then I dunk it in sweet coffee. There is a trend in the coffee world to have butter in the coffee, I’ve been doing that for years as the butter from dunking melts into the coffee along with the crumbs. Okay it isn’t pretty but we do like it that way. Maybe you have tried
https://www.readthespirit.com/feed-the-spirit/skorpor-swedish-biscotti-christmas/
it’s what the kids used for teething. Also hard as a rock. I think the kids were allowed to dunk in cinnamin milk. All of these are an acquired taste from birth.
This looks delicious! Thanks for the recipes!
An interesting flavor combination. DH would like these as he really likes blueberries.
I love Biscotti. I’ll give this recipe a try…maybe not the chocolate. It’s so easy to make too.
Merry Christmas
xx, Carol
Looks so yummy…..I make an almost identical version only I use lemon zest with blueberries…I love that combination….I prefer cranberries with orange flavors….but you’ve made my mouth water and I do have everything on hand. My favorite mixed drink is an amaretto sour so I always have Disaronno on hand…so much better than domestic…lol. Thank you for another lovely recipe. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to you and yours! I have so enjoyed this year of posts….every year just seems to get better and better. Hugs, Carole!
Looks & sounds delicious! While I was at it, I also downloaded your Cranberry Eggnog Biscotti too! Thank you twice!
Thanks for the substitution. And I would put cranberries in place of blueberries, too. This actually doesn’t look like a ton of work, so one of these days, I might try it. I didn’t need to bake anything this year, because so many friends brought plates of cookies and treats. It was quite enough! But maybe at the end of January would be good timing. =) Thanks for the .pdf download to make it easy, too.