Oatmeal Craisin® Biscotti

My mother diligently prepared hot porridge for our breakfast, day in and day out, until I was seven years old. At that point, I crossed my little arms in protest and told her that I wanted to eat cold cereal from a box just like everyone else I knew. Mom gave up the hot breakfast fight with nary a whimper. She was probably just as sick of making the cooked cereal as I was of eating it. But it appears that things have come full circle because for the last twenty years I’ve started my day with a hearty bowl of hot oatmeal made with old-fashioned Quaker® oats.

Oatmeal Craisin® Biscotti

And maybe it’s not only me that’s oatmeal obsessed. Every fall, twenty-five international competitors go head-to-head in a grueling competition (pun intended) in a small town in the Scottish Highlands for the coveted Golden Spurtle® trophy. Make no mistake about it, this is a challenge that requires daily training. The rules are strict and the objective is to be named World Porridge Champion. This coveted goal must be accomplished with nothing more than oats, water, and salt.

Regretfully, porridge made with rolled oats and cooked in a microwave is a non-starter in this competition, so I will not be booking a plane ticket to Scotland any time soon. I will also refrain from sharing my quick and easy recipe for 2 ½ minute oatmeal. (You can read the back of the package of Quaker® oats for that preparation of breakfast nirvana.) Today we’re making oatmeal Craisin® biscotti, a recipe by culinary wunderkind Miriam Pascal, originally published in Mishpacha magazine. Warmly scented with cinnamon, and studded with garnet-hued dried cranberries, it is the nutty taste of old-fashioned rolled oats that is the star in these crisp treats. Eaten for breakfast, afternoon tea or a bedtime snack, these biscotti are winners every time.

Assemble your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set this mixture aside. 

In the bowl of stand mixer using the flat beater, combine the oil, sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until combined. Add the prepared flour mixture. Beat until the flour just disappears. Add the oats and beat until just combined and a sticky dough forms. Add the dried cranberries.

Moisten your hands with water and form the dough into two logs on the prepared baking sheet. The logs should be about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide. Leave at least 3 inches between the logs of dough. The biscotti will spread when they bake. Combine 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of sugar. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the tops of the logs.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the biscotti loaves from the oven and allow them to cool for at least 1/2 hour and preferably an hour. Lower the temperature of the oven to 300 F. Place each log on a cutting board one at a time and using a serrated knife carefully cut the biscotti into 1/2 inch slices on a slight angle. Place each slice cut-side down on a baking sheet.  If the cut biscotti don’t fit on a single baking sheet, use a second baking sheet. Bake the cut biscotti for 15 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Allow the biscotti to cool completely before serving or storing in a resealable airtight container.

Print Recipe

Oatmeal Craisin® Biscotti

Cookies, Cakes, Pies and Desserts

By Miriam Pascal, published in Mishpacha magazine, modified ever so slightly by me – Serves: 30

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes +15 minutes – Total Time: 55 minutes

Crisp biscotti, warmed with the scent of cinnamon, studded with dried cranberries and filled with the nutty flavor of rolled oats.

Ingredients

• For the biscotti:
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup Craisins® or any other brand sweetened dried cranberries
• For the topping:
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. I used a 15 X 21 inch baking sheet. If your baking sheet is smaller, use 2 baking sheets.

2

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set this mixture aside. 

3

In the bowl of stand mixer using the flat beater, combine the oil, sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until combined. Add the prepared flour mixture. Beat until the flour just disappears. Add the oats and beat until just combined and a sticky dough forms. Add the dried cranberries.

4

Moisten your hands with water and form the dough into two logs on the prepared baking sheet. The logs should be about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide. Leave at least 3 inches between the logs of dough. The biscotti will spread when they bake. Combine 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of sugar. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the tops of the logs.

5

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the baking pan and allow the biscotti logs to cool for 30 minutes on a cooling rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 F.

6

Carefully transfer each biscotti log to a cutting surface and slice on a slight diagonal into pieces 1/2 inch wide. Place the pieces of biscotti cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the biscotti to rest until completely cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

If the biscotti logs crumble when you begin to slice them into pieces, stop and wait another 15 minutes before continuing. Allow the biscotti to completely cool after they have completed baking before storing in an airtight container.