Biscotti & Buttercups

For a while now my mum has been a little bit of a biscotti addict, I think it probably started with the ones in Starbucks, but they're a little lacking in fruit for my liking.

This is a recipe that originally started off as one of James Martin's but she has added and taken away to make this our ideal biscotti which basically works on a 200g of dried fruit and 175g of nuts basis.

250g plain flour
250g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 beaten eggs
200g dried cranberries
100g pistachios
50g blanched almonds
25g hazelnuts
Zest of one lemon

First measure the flour, sugar and baking powder in the bowl, add half the beaten eggs and give it a stir, then add half of what is left in, keep stirring and adding until a dough forms, I had to use all three eggs but you may not need to.

Then add your dried fruit and nuts, depending on what you want in there, dates, apricots, dried strawberries, maybe even dried apple or mango would work well too!
Zest one lemon and add that in too.

Wet your hands (this stops the dough sticking to your hands) and pour the mixture into a couple of sausage shapes on your baking tray, pop in the an oven at 180 celcius for about 25 mins or until golden brown.

Take them out and let them rest for about 5-10 mins, then get a bread knife and cut into strips, sort of diagonally, as if you were cutting a baguette. Put these back on the baking tray and into the oven for 8 mins.

Take them out again and turn them over onto the other side, and put back into the oven for a last blast of heat for about 15 mins.

While these cooled down (I had just burnt my tongue from snaffling some) I took Pip and Nelly outside, while they charged about I got snap happy..

There you go, a whole load of puppy photos.. Sorry if you're not a dog person.

Anyway, we scampered back for some biscotti, and I had some tea in my favourite and super appropriate mug from my boyfriend's mum!