Like little orange jewels, dried apricots have such a distinct flavour; they add a little chewiness to the crisp Orange Apricot Biscotti. And, they very pretty too!
Here were are with the eleventh biscotti recipe in this twelve-part series. I get to wrap this series up tomorrow and look forward to a break from baking. (As if!) You know how much I love it!
I had to include the Orange Apricot Biscotti recipe in the series, because we love dried apricots. When I say we, I mean John.e and myself. McKenna does not care for them at all. She refers to all dried fruit as old people food. I can’t blame her. It wasn’t so long ago that I felt the same way.
DEVELOPING A TASTE FOR DRIED APRICOTS
I have never been a fan of apricots – fresh or dried! My mom and my dad would eat dried apricots like they were candy. I remember them both making dried apricot jam, and of course, I remember dried apricots being the star of many cakes, biscuits, and cookies.
To tell the truth, I’m not sure when I started to like them, but I do know that it was after my divorce. I know this, because my ex wife and her mom both used to prepare this Apricot Raisin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake, and I would pick the raisins and apricots out religiously. Now, I can’t get enough of apricots – and raisins too!
I will often eat them as a snack. I love dried apricots with a few almonds, a slice of cheese, and a few crackers. Place those on a plate and hand me a hot coffee and I have a what I would call a delicious snack or a small lunch! I often will bake chopped dried apricots into scones or tea biscuits too.
PACKAGING AND STORING
These Orange Apricot Biscotti will last in the freezer for three months. Be sure you have a good container with a tight seal. Whenever I’m freezing cookies, I always double up on the seal action. Before I place the lid on, I always drape a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Then I push the lid on. I just feel that the lid fits more tightly. Any little thing I can do to keep the frost out, I’m going to do it! I like to use tins like this.
Like I always say, if you freeze any baked goods, remove only the amount you want when you decide to thaw them. Fetch the container from the freezer and remove only what you need. Put the lid back on and get the container back in the fridge.
To properly thaw baked goods, place them on a plate or a wire cooling rack. Don’t pile them. Spread them out and give them some space. Let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. They will taste fresh and perfect every single time!
CONCLUSION:
Like I said at the beginning of this series, I’ll be posting 12 biscotti recipes back to back. If you can’t wait, you can certainly refer back to a series from previous years. Just click on the collection photos below. Cheers!
Orange Apricot Biscotti
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons orange extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup dried apricots, finely diced
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, 2 teaspoons of the orange extract, vanilla extract, orange zest, and baking powder until well combined and creamy.
- Next, add the eggs and beat them into the batter until well mixed.
- Now, add the flour and beat in until just combined. The dough will be sticky.
- Fold in the chopped apricots.
- Turn dough out onto prepared baking sheet and form into a log. (Dust your hands with flour; dough is a bit sticky!)
- Form log into a rectangle shape that is roughly 5" wide and 14" long.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a wire cooling rack so that air can circulate around the baking sheet. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, reduce the heat to 325°F.
- Using the parchment paper, slide the log onto a large cutting board. Slice into 3/4" slices across the width of the log.
- Place slices back onto baking sheet which has been lined with more parchment paper. Slices are cut side down. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Carefully turn the cookies over and bake for another 12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
- Once completely cooled, whisk together the confectioner's sugar with the remaining teaspoon of orange extract and the milk. Whisk until smooth and drizzle over the biscotti. Let set to harden.
- Package biscotti for gift-giving or pile into a food-safe container. Leave at room temperature, or freeze until needed for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Lynda says
Am I correct in thinking that I flatten the rolled log into a rectangle 5″ x 14″? Never made biscotti. Want to try this recipe as I love apricots and oranges!!!!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Yes, that is correct. 🙂
Carol Caudill says
Excellent! Loved the flavor combination.
Kate says
Yum! My favourite recipe!
Lina says
THESE were excellent. I added halved almonds. Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Les says
Big hit at the Christmas party!
Kate says
The combination of Apricots and Orange make these cookies absolutely delicious. So easy to make you can whip up a batch quickly. Definitely will be making them again. I will say that when I second bake my biscotti I reduce the second bake by half. That is strictly a preference thing. Try these! You will love them.
Kateleebee says
The combination of Apricots and Orange make these cookies absolutely delicious. So easy to make you can whip up a batch quickly. Definitely will be making them again. I will say that when I second bake my biscotti I reduce the second bake by half. That is strictly a preference thing. Try these! You will love them.
Carrie Powell says
Love this recipe