Cranberry-Coconut Biscotti

The last clinical of the first semester has come and what better to treat the nurses on the floor with than a little "good-bye" gift. From what I gathered, spending a two months on the acute hospital floor, nurses really love their hot beverages. Coffee, tea and hot-chocolate are staples for the busy health care professional. But of course, you cannot have a complete hot-beverage meal without the accompanying tid bits. I ponder for a week to find the perfect recipe... what goes with coffee? Another member of my clinical group was making cookies, and I don't like being a copy-cat so I settled on the italian classic... BISCOTTIS! (Forgive me for the aweful pics, it's a new camera and really glitchy)

Cranberry-Coconut Biscotti

Ingredients:

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 3/4 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

- 3/4 cup sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 2 large eggs

- 1/4 cup vegetable oil

- 1/2 cup dried cranberries

- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut, sweetened

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg; mix thoroughly.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs until well combined.

4. Add flour mixture, coconut and cranberries to the liquid ingredients. Stir until combined.

5. Turn dough onto a heavily floured surface and knead approximately 7 times. Shape the dough into a 15 x 3 inch roll. Place roll on parchement-lined baking sheet and pat down to 1-inch thickness.

6. Bake roll for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.

7. Cut roll into 25 (1/2 inch) slices. Place slices, upright, on baking sheet and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

NOTE: Center of cookies will seem soft when warm, but will harden when cooled.

The nurses really enjoyed their basket of goodies. It's sad to say good-bye, but we're still greatful for all the encouragement and support they gave us. We definitely needed it... and now we're on our way to becoming great nurses.