Holiday Pistachio Cherry Biscotti | The Recipe ReDux

ByDeanna Segrave-Daly
21 Comments

Holiday Pistachio Cherry Biscotti | Teaspoonofspice.com

A festive holiday cookie: pistachio cherry biscotti ~ 

Disclosure: Cumberland Packing Corp. compensated The Recipe ReDux (co-owned by ReganMillerJones, Inc. and Teaspoon Communications), to sponsor this recipe contest. We are therefore not eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

When it comes time for holiday gifts or even general cooking making, my go-to is always biscotti. I got into making them years ago from a Cooking Light recipe for Coffee and Hazelnut Biscotti and then I just started experimenting with different flavors (snickerdoodle is probably the most popular one I make.)

So, I can't believe that this is only the second biscotti recipe I've ever posted (in 2012, in honor of The Recipe ReDux's first birthday, I made these Iced Lemon Biscotti Bites.)

This time, our Recipe ReDux members have been challenged by the folks at In the Raw to come up with a holiday baked good or adapt a favorite holiday recipe using their new Monk Fruit In The Raw Bakers Bag. And since every December, I'm making several batches of pistachio cherry biscotti, I thought I'd see how my recipe would work using this zero-calorie sweetener.

Holiday Pistachio Cherry Biscotti | Teaspoonofspice.com

So a little background on Monk Fruit In the Raw:

  • It's made from vine ripened monk fruit (also known as luo han guo) - a fruit that's been harvested in Southern China for over 800 years.
  • It's 100% natural and zero calories.
  • It has a clean, sweet taste.

The Monk Fruit In the Raw Bakers' Bag is brand new and being rolled out into supermarkets across the country. These baking tips came in handy for me:

  • Cup for cup, it measures like sugar.
  • For best results, don't substitute ALL the sugar in your recipe for Monk Fruit In the Raw. (I learned the hard way the first time around.) Start with replacing half of the sugar.
  • To replace some of volume and moistness that regular sugar brings to a recipe, add extra nuts or dried fruit.
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Holiday Pistachio & Cherry Biscotti – The Recipe ReDux

  • Yield: 2 dozen biscotti 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup Monk Fruit In The Raw
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspon salt
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup dried cherries
  • ¼ cup pistachios

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together flours, Monk Fruit in The Raw, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  3. Mix canola oil, water, eggs, vanilla extract, dried cherries and pistachios until dough starts to come together. Divide the dough in half.
  4. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a 12-inch long x 2-inch wide x ¼-inch thick log. Repeat with other dough half.
  5. Place logs onto a greased cookie tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until slightly browned.
  6. Remove from oven and transfer logs to rack. Cool for 10 minutes.
  7. Using a serrated knife and cutting board, slice logs into ½-inch wide cookies.
  8. Place back on cookie tray and bake for 15 more minutes, turning cookies over half way through baking.
  9. Remove from oven and place on racks.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @tsp_basil @tspcurry — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Holiday Pistachio Cherry Biscotti | Teaspoonofspice.com

After my first attempt failed (I replaced all the sugar with ¾ cup Monk Fruit In The Raw and used too much flour which resulted in biscotti batter crumbs), my second batch using a little less flour and a combination of ½ cup MFITR with ¼ cup sugar was the winner.

Original Biscotti: 95 calories, 9 grams sugar per cookie
Biscotti using Monk Fruit In the Raw: 70 calories, 2.5 grams sugar per cookie

Did you know about monk fruit? Have you ever used a sugar substitute in baking? What were the results?

Check out all of the lower calorie holiday treats our ReDuxers came up with for this challenge below!

More Baked Goods

21 Comments

  1. I've tried using stevia in baking once or twice and it was an epic fail...way too bitter. But the monkfruit has such a great flavor that I'm sure it's awesome once you get the ratios right! Beautiful biscotti! So perfect for Christmas.

    1. I know - I've never been a big fan of the sugar substitutes but once I figured out the right amount to replace, it really worked well!

  2. I love biscotti and this sounds so good! My entry using Monk Fruit in the Raw came out with no difference in texture and tasted great!

  3. Oh how I wish I could sit down and have coffee time with you! You'll provide these perfectly dunkable treats, right? 😉 I didn't have the time to experiment with Monk Fruit in the raw this time, but I will as soon as the semester is over! And I def won't replace all the sugar. Thank you for the tip, Deanna!

    1. Oh I wish I was your neighbor - I would happily make you batches of biscotti for any kind of Korean dish you'd whip up 🙂 Good luck with the rest of your semester!

  4. Such yummy looking biscotti Deanna! Although I sometimes use stevia or xylitol in smoothies or other beverages, I've never baked with a sugar substitute. Curious to give this a try, and will pass the recipe along to my mom who has diabetes and bakes w/ splenda. This seems like a more natural substitute 🙂

    1. Think MFITR would be a great option for those with diabetes that are bakers 🙂

  5. My husband's family always has a big Christmas brunch and these would be perfect for it!

  6. Your photos are so beautiful and festive. Just looking at them is getting me in the holiday spirit of baking. And yes, I too am a huge fan of biscotti. Will try your recipe with my MonkFruit in the Raw Bakers Bag!

    1. I felt the same way looking at your recipe (to get my holiday baking ON!) - your little evergreen tree in the photo was awesome 🙂

  7. Biscotti are my favorite cookies, but I haven't had them with cherries yet. Pistachios are a great addition at this time of year. The batch of cookies is talking to me saying, "Make me."

    1. You must try with dried cherries - I think they are my fav dried fruit biscotti to date 🙂

  8. Yum! I love biscotti. I make some version of biscotti every Christmas. Now I know what I want to do make with the Monk Fruit In The Raw that I have left.

  9. Yay! I'm anxious to try your yummy clafouti, too - haven't made one in decades 🙂

  10. pistachio biscotti used to be my favorite holiday cookie! i'll have to have my mom try this recipe

  11. Anyone planning to attend a cookie swap this holiday season should consider making your biscotti. They look awesome. I adore pistachios!

    1. Thanks Liz - I almost ate half of the dried cherries & pistachios before getting them into the batter 🙂 And love love your rustic tart recipe using the Monk Fruit In The Raw - totally gonna try it out.

  12. I declare your recipe a must make for the holidays. I would live to dip those biscotti in my rooibus tea latte. Yum! Love the pics!!

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