Clementine Cranberry Biscotti (Jewish)

Sydney Mike's Note:

This recipe, under a slightly different name & for Rosh Hashanah -- The Jewish New Year, was found in the 1998 publication, A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking. Preparation time does not include the 2 hours or more needed for the cooled loaf to freeze.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 25 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 14

Yield: 28.0 biscotti

• 1 clementine (or seedless orange)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups frozen cranberries , coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then spray a 9"x5" loaf pan generously with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Wash the orange well & cut it into quarters, before pureeing it in a food processor or coffee grinder until smooth ~ You should have 1/2 cup of orange puree, so if it isn't quite enough, add enough orange juice to reach the 1/2 cup measure.
3. In a mixing bowl, blend together the oil, sugar & eggs, then stir in the orange puree, & then the vanilla, mixing well.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder & cinnamon, then fold in the wet ingredients, combining well, before folding in the cranberries.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan & bake 45-55 minutes or until the top seems set & dry ~ HOWEVER, if the loaf is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to 325 degrees F & increase the baking time a little.
6. When done, remove from the oven & allow the loaf to cool completely before removing it from the pan.
7. When completely cooled, wrap the loaf in foil & freeze from 2 hours to overnight.
8. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F & line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
9. Cut the loaf into very thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick, then place the slices on the baking sheets & bake, turning once, for 20-30 minutes, allowing the cookies to brown only lightly.
10. Store in an airtight container.