Valentine’s Day Cherry Biscotti

Easy Homemade Biscotti Recipe

This Valentine’s Day, bring a little extra love to your kitchen with my Cherry Biscotti Recipe—a festive twist on the same chocolate chip biscotti featured on my recent ‘WTAE-TV ‘Cookie Town‘ segment and also a favorite in my cookbook, MaMa Mia Cucina. By simply swapping chocolate chips for (well-drained) maraschino cherries, you create a sweet, ruby-red treat that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. A totally new flavor by a simple substitution. These twice-baked Italian cookies are a soft-crisp, flavorful, and irresistible when dipped in coffee, tea, or hot cocoa. Whether you’re baking for someone special or preparing pretty packages for friends, this homemade Valentine’s Day cherry biscotti adds a heart-warming touch to any celebration.

The base of this recipe is exactly the same as my tried‑and‑true chocolate chip biscotti: buttery, soft-crisp, and just the right amount of sweetness. The only change? I replaced the chocolate chips with well-drained chopped maraschino cherries, and added in almond extract. The cherries add a pop of sweet cherry flavor and a gorgeous ruby‑red hue that feels tailor‑made for Valentine’s Day baking.

If you want an extra touch of indulgence, drizzle your cooled biscotti with white chocolate or dip one end into dark chocolate before setting them on parchment paper to harden — they’ll look like gourmet treats from your favorite bakery. Or, no chocolate necessary as pictured, here.

Why You’ll Love This Cherry Biscotti Recipe

• Festive flavor: Maraschino cherries add a tangy sweetness that brightens every bite.
• Perfect texture: Twice‑baked for that signature biscotti lovers crave.
• Or, just slice and eat without baking twice. They are that good!
• This has become my favorite flavor – let’s see if it is one of yours.
• Gift with a bow and share a little Love this Valentine’s Day season from your kitchen.

If you want an extra touch of indulgence, drizzle your cooled biscotti with white chocolate or dip one end into dark chocolate before setting them on parchment paper to harden — they’ll look like gourmet treats from your favorite bakery.

Tools you will need:

• Large mixing bowl
• Electric mixer
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Baking sheets
• Spatula
• Serrated knife
• Parchment paper
• Cookie cooling rack

Ingredients:

Recipe

• 1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 – 1 cup Maraschino cherries
• sugar for sprinkling

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together and add in the eggs. Add almond extract and mix well to combine.
• Combine all dry ingredients and stir into the creamed mixture. Add in the drained cherries and stir.
• Divide dough in half. Flour a work surface. Roll each half into a 12-inch log. Place each log onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (or lined with parchment paper) and sprinkle the top generously with sugar.
• Bake logs for 25 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly golden brown around the edges.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan.
• Cut loaves with a serrated knife into one-inch slices (or thinner if you like) and place cut-side down on a cookie sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees on each side (oven temps vary) until lightly golden brown. This happens quickly – stay close by!
• Note: Sometimes we don’t bake them twice – they are just good sliced!

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