Preheat the oven and tie on your apron – there’s baking to be done!

Friday is National Cookie Day, and what better way to celebrate than to whip up a batch to fill your cookie jar (and belly).

So, get ready to level up your baking game because we’re making a cookie that’s so nice, it’s baked twice: biscotti.

This classic Italian cookie is a must for holiday baking. It’s surprisingly easy to make, and it can be customized with your favorite extracts and add-ins.

This recipe calls for the festive additions of dried cranberries and pistachios, which add a sweet-tart and nutty flavor to the rich vanilla-almond canvas in which they’re speckled.

The simple dough is shaped into two logs and baked. The logs are set aside to cool, then sliced on the diagonal and baked a second time until dry and crisp.

With a hard, crunchy texture, they’re just begging to be dunked, pairing well with hot cocoa, tea or your morning coffee.

(Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please!)

And if you’re looking to spread some holiday cheer, biscotti is super sturdy, making it perfect for gifting and shipping to family and friends.

You can even glamour them up with a dip or drizzle of melted chocolate and festive sprinkles.

CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup olive oil 

3/4 cup white sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

2 large eggs 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

3/4 cups pistachio nuts 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 300° F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.
Combine the oil and sugar in a large bowl and mix until well blended. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts, then the eggs. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually mix it into egg mixture. Stir in the cranberries and nuts by hand.
With damp hands, divide dough in half and shape into two 12-by-2-inch logs on prepared baking sheet. (You can smooth the surface of the logs with a wet spatula.) 
Bake for 35 minutes, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275°.
Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4-inch thick slices. Arrange biscotti, cut side down, back on baking sheet and bake until dry, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature. 

Adapted from allrecipes.com