Thea's Cranberry Almond and Amaretto Biscotti

A delicious recipe from my dear friend and brother's wonderful girlfriend, Theadora Mills

You will need:

• 1 large egg
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur (you can replace with vanilla or almond extract if preferred) 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon of water
• ½ cup whole almonds (Blanched)
• ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To blanche the almonds: boil 2 cups water in small sauce pot, add whole almonds, let boil for 1 minute, drain and set aside.
3. Place egg in a bowl, whisk for a minute or more. Add brown sugar and whisk until mix becomes creamy and fluffy. Add Amaretto liqueur and whisk. Add salt, baking soda and cinnamon and whisk some more.
4. Incorporate flour and water alternatively and mix with a large spoon. Mix will be somewhat dry and will get hard to mix. Add the almonds and cranberries. Place some flour on hands and work the dough together to form a loaf approximately 2-3cm high, 6-8 cm wide, and 20 cm long.
5. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 25-30 mins.
6. Take out and let cool for 15 mins. Place on a cutting board and with a serrated knife, cut on the diagonal, about 1cm pieces. Place on sheet on cut side down. Turn down oven to 325 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes, turning once.
7. One loaf yields about a dozen biscotti. When cooled, store in an airtight container.