Whole Wheat Orange Biscotti / Healthy biscotti

Healthy and delicious Biscotti to be dipped in tea/coffee. I am very happy to have found this recipe. This is made with whole wheat flour and not even a single drop of oil or butter!! How is that for a guilt free snack? :)

Now, I can have a great guilt free tea time snack with this healthy biscotti. And, trust me, its delicious too. Even my 4 year old likes it very much.

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour - 2 and 1/2 cups
• Eggs - 3
• Granulated white sugar - 3/4 cup
• Pure Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• Fresh Orange Juice from 1 medium orange
• Orange zest from 1 orange
• Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• Roasted and chopped almonds - 1/2 cup (optional)
• Chopped dried cranberries - 1/2 cup (optional)

Preparation:

• Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer or with a whisk till it turns pale and fluffy.
• Add in the vanilla extract, orange zest and the orange juice.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt using a sieve or using a whisk.
• Add the dry ingredients to the sugar and egg mixture and mix it thoroughly.
• Fold in the almonds and cranberry.

Remaning steps are same as in my other biscotti recipes.I am jotting down here just for your convenience.

• Transfer the batter to a board or the cookie sheet and make two logs around 3 inches wide and 12 inches long. This will be the trickiest step. 
• Flour your hands well and flour the working surface very well. The batter will be super duper sticky and I thought of ditching the whole process in between . It was that sticky :). No problem if you need to add lot of flour to your hand.It will work out well at the end.
• I transferred the batter directly to the cookie sheet and made the log directly on the sheet itself.This made my life a little easier.
• Just fan away or blow away the extra flour on the cookie sheet after finishing making the log.
• Bake these logs in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. The logs should be firm to touch.
• Remove the logs from the oven and cool them on the wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once cooled, cut the logs into diagonal slices of around 1/2 inch slices.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degree F. Place the biscotti cut side up on the cookie sheet and bake them for 10 minutes.

• Now, turn the biscotti over and bake the other side for 10 minutes.
• The biscotti color should turn golden brown.
• Remove and cool them on a rack till completely cooled.
• Store them in an airtight container.