The annual March Zinfandel Festival in Paso Robles finds Fratelli Perata serving our new Zinfandel with warm cranberry-almond biscotti. While the wine is certainly vintage Fratelli Perata with ripe fruit and black pepper, bramble flavors, the biscotti are a new generation favorite. This recipe features dried cranberry for a crisp berry flavor, and almonds that complement ripe Zinfandel fruit. Not baked to a rock-hard finish, these biscotti are terrific for all ages.

2 1/4 cups flour (280g) 1 cup sugar (300g) 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon

3 eggs (2 1/2 if extra large) 1 TB vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. almond extract (or up to 1 tsp. to taste) 3/4 cup chopped almonds (175g) 1 1/4 cup dried cranberries (150g)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit.

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients.  In the bowl of a mixer, whisk the eggs and extracts. Add the dry ingredients to the eggs and mix with mixer until just combined. Add nuts and cranberries and mix until incorporated.

Note: the size of the eggs makes a big difference. The dough needs to be relatively stiff to work.  Add some more flour if needed.  If you need a lot more flour, add some sugar as well). More about eggs: Eggs are sized by the dozen, 27 oz for Extra Large, 24 oz. for Large. In the end, if weighing everything very precisely we've found that 5 66gram eggs works very well in a double batch.

On a well floured baking sheet make the dough into 2 logs about 14" long and 1 1/2" wide each. (Note that the baking sheet doesn't really need oil if the logs get enough flour.)

Bake the logs at 325 degrees Farenheit for 30 min. 

Remove from the oven and cut the logs into1/2" pieces. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees Farenheit. Stand the pieces on end on the baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 16 1/2 minutes, OR UNTIL JUST SLIGHTLY BROWNED.

Preparation hints:  For big batches, a large, powerful 5qt. stand mixer can do a double batch. Each log comes out to be about 510 grams. When doing big batches here's some nice hints: Shape the logs by taking a 11x14 sheet pan and put at least 1/2 cup flour on it. Put 1/2 the dough onto the pan and shape the dough into a log 14" long and 1 1/2" wide each. Then do another log (you probably want to use more flour to make sure the shaping goes easier). Either transfer the logs to another work area, or get another 11x14 pan. Take a piece of wax paper the length of the pan and put the log on it and wrap it. Repeat with other logs (you can get 4 onto the plan which is one double batch. Refrigerate overnight (you can even freeze the dough). Refrigerated dough when brought back to a workable temperature, its actually easier to deal with; before it gets too warm and sticky.  You can flour the bottom of the "log" more effectively. If the log sticks after the first baking, just let it cool a bit and carefully pry up with a spatula. A "bakers bench knife" is useful for cutting the cookies.

(Note that the baking sheet doesn't really need oil if the logs get enough flour.)

Variation: substitute blueberries for the cranberries. Be careful about blending it in, though. Done wrong, it ends up looking kinda gray (but still tastes great).