Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts in 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 jellyroll pan. Bake 20 minutes, or until toasted. Wrap hot hazelnuts in a clean cloth towel. With hands, roll towel back and forth to remove skins.

Coarsely chop hazelnuts.

Grease and lightly flour 2 large cookie sheets.

In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a small bowl, with a wire whisk or fork, beat 4 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk (reserve egg white for later use), vanilla and 1 tablespoon water.

Pour egg mixture into flour mixture, stir with wooden spoon, then use hands to knead dough together. Dough will be very stiff. Knead in hazelnuts and cranberries.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. On lightly floured surface, with floured hands, shape each piece of dough into an 11 x 2-inch log. Place 2 logs, about 4 inches apart, on each cookie sheet. With fork, lightly beat remaining egg white. With pastry brush, brush the egg white onto the logs.

Place cookie sheets on two oven racks. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Rotate cookie sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through cooking time. During baking, logs will spread and become loaf-shaped. Let loaves cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet on a rack.

Remove loaves to cutting board. With a bread knife, cut each loaf crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place slices cut-side down on same cookie sheets on oven racks. Bake slices 10 to 15 minutes to allow Biscotti to toast. Rotate cookie sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through baking time.

Remove Biscotti to wire rack. Cool completely. Biscotti will harden as they cool. Store in tightly covered container.

Ida Shires

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.