One of the most often asked questions regarding biscotti is, do you dunk? ” And I’m not talking coffee or espresso. Biscotti is ideally dipped into sweet wine; the dry cookie soaks up the beverage, giving it a perfect flavor.

Cantucci Di Prato or Biscotti? Biscotti (twice-baked) originated in Roman times as soldiers carried preserved biscuits. Later, they found their way to Prato, where they were flavored with almonds from the plentiful almond groves. There, the cookies are known as cantucci.

Whichever name you prefer, they are perfect for dipping into a sweet glass of Tuscan Vin Santo (holy wine).

Chef George onset of George Hirsch Lifestyle dunking biscotti this recipe is an ideal do-ahead sweet, as it only gets better a couple of days after baking.

George’s Biscotti

Makes 3 ½ dozen cookies

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup pure cane granulated sugar

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon baking powder

3 drops pure almond or anise extract + 1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest

1/2 cup mixed pistachios pieces and slivered almonds; or, use 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate and dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, beat the oil, eggs, sugar, and almond flavoring until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, and nuts. Stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough.

Place the dough on the parchment-lined sheet pan and divide it into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your sheet pan. Press down to 1/2 inch thickness, and with a rolling stick, even out the top height of the dough by rolling evenly and gently.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven until a light golden brown. Remove the two biscotti bars from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. When cookies are cool enough to handle, slice each one crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Place the slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 4-5 minutes on each side or until slices should be lightly toasted.

Cool, and store for two weeks in a tightly sealed container.

Tip: Save the biscotti crumbs when slicing cookies; they make an ideal topping on gelato and ice cream.

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Here are a few fun facts about our native berry, the cranberry.

Dennis, Massachusetts was the site of the first recorded cranberry cultivation in 1816.
American recipes containing cranberries date from the early 18th Century.
Americans consume some 400 million pounds of cranberries each year. About 80 million pounds -- or 20 percent -- are gobbled up during Thanksgiving week.
Did you know that there are 440 cranberries in one pound? 4,400 cranberries in one gallon of juice? 440,000 cranberries in a 100-pound barrel?

Orange Cranberry Buttermilk Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

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For the Topping:

1/3 cup lite brown sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons nuts, walnuts, or pecans, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

1 Tablespoon sweet butter

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts. Blend butter in with a fork until the mixture is crumb-like.

For the muffin mix:

4 Tablespoons sweet butter, melted

2 cups all-purpose flour; or 1 cup all purpose & 1 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon flour for coating plumped cranberries, plus greasing muffin cups

2/3 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

**2/3 cup dried cranberries, plumped

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon grated orange zest

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

*2/3 cup buttermilk

*1/4 teaspoon white vinegar, for making regular whole milk into buttermilk.

Add white vinegar to milk to make the buttermilk. Allow sitting 5 minutes to sour.

Grease a regular size 12-cup muffin pan with butter and dust with flour, tap out excess flour; or use muffin cups liners.

Place baking rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Note: If using a dark-colored muffin pan, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Dark colored pans absorb more heat while baking in the oven and become hotter and carry heat faster than light-colored pans.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest.

Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined, about 10-12 strokes, to moisten the flour mixture. The mixture will still have some lumps. Do not over mix or the muffins will become tough when baked.

Toss plumped cranberries in a fine strainer with about one Tablespoon of flour to lightly coat. Using a rubber spatula, fold in a 1/2 cup of the cranberries. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, place batter into muffin cups filling each cup to three-quarters full. Add remaining cranberries on top of muffins and divide crumb topping over muffins.

Bake about 15-20 minutes, until muffins are golden brown. Check muffins half-way through and rotate muffin pan if the oven temperature is uneven. Test doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin; or when touched lightly—the muffin should have a slight resistance to finger pressure.

Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from pan.

**To plump dried cranberries, add 2 tablespoons of orange juice from recipe and heat in a microwave for 30 seconds; drain orange juice back into pre-measured 1/3 cup orange juice.

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one