Eat Your Antioxidants: A Healthy Pomegranate Biscotti Recipe

Biscotti are the ultimate healthy (or healthier) cookie. Italian for "biscuit," biscotti (the plural of "biscotto") are twice-baked cookies with a long shelf life.  Recipes can be easily customized to include more nutrition. In this recipe, whole wheat flour, antioxidant-carrying pomegranate arils, and the option to use egg replacers give the resulting lightly sweetened treats an excellent nutritional profile. Pistachios lend a pleasant texture, while optional peppermints add a sweet and refreshing zing. Pomegranate biscotti make a great treat for the holidays or any day, and are especially delicious when paired with a steaming cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa.  To enjoy biscotti in Italian style, try accompanying a cookie with a dessert wine.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 6 eggs (I used 1.5 cups Egg Beaters)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
• 10 peppermint candies
• seeds of 1 pomegranate*

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and extract. Slowly, stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ones until the dough is stiff. Be careful not to over-mix. Work the nuts and pomegranate seeds in.

On a greased baking sheet, shape the dough into two separate rectangles that are about three inches across and 15 inches long. They should not touch.

Bake for 20 minutes in your oven. While the logs are baking, crush your peppermints into pieces of your desired size. This will be messy. You may want to try a food processor, but I simply smashed them with a knife handle. If you want the mints to melt over your biscotti, sprinkle the pieces over the logs before the first baking. Otherwise, try pressing the sprinkles into the tops of the logs before you slice them (see below).

Remove the baked logs from the oven and let them sit until they feel cool to the touch. With a sharp knife (I've heard serrated blades recommended for this, but I did just fine with a regular butcher's knife), slice the logs into 3/4 inch slices. Arrange the pieces on the baking sheet so the sliced sides are down. Baking for fifteen more minutes, then flip them over so the opposite side faces down and bake for 3-5 more minutes. The biscotti should be a lovely golden brown when they are finished.

Let the biscotti cool completely on a wire rack. Then enjoy them with tea or coffee, give them as gifts, or store them in an air-tight container.

*Never worked with a pomegranate before? Not to fear! Find a guide on seeding pomegranates at Simply Recipes.

Pomegranates are known as a super fruit, and with good reason. Pomegranate fruit is a nutritional powerhouse with many benefits.

• High in antioxidants, which prevent premature aging and neutralize the harmful effects of disease-causing free radicals
  
• High in dietary fiber, folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and potassium
  
• May help prevent cancer, especially breast and prostate cancers
• Prevent the accumulation of “bad” cholesterol and blood clots in the arteries
• Can slow enzymes cause arthritic inflammation
  
• Help manage diabetes
• Seed oil can be used topically to support skin health and ease irritations
  

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