Cranberry, fennel and almond biscotti

There was a period when I first got married where I as biscotti, obsessed! I was making biscotti every other day, with every variation possible. Since that period, many moon ago,  I haven't made a one, till today. I made two types out of 1 dough, one has cranberries, fennel seeds and almonds, the other, dates and almonds with cinnamon and nutmeg. I varied a little from the recipe. I used brown sugar instead of white and instead of 3 cups white flour, I used 2 1/3 cups flour and 1/4 cup wheat germ and 1/4 rolled oats. So here's what you'll need:
(Makes 2 dozens)

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup boiling water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons kosher unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (if using brown sugar, use 3/4 of a cup)
3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted pistachios or almonds, coarsely chopped


Preheat oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Place cranberries in a small bowl; add boiling water. 
Let stand until plump, about 15 minutes. Drain, and set aside. 
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until combined. Mix in cranberries and pistachios or almonds.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape each piece into a 16-by-2-inch log, and transfer to prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, flatten logs slightly. Brush the beaten egg over surface of the dough logs, and sprinkle generously with sugar.
Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until logs are slightly firm to touch, about 25 minutes. 
Transfer logs on parchment paper to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
Place logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut logs crosswise on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place a wire rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on rack. Bake until firm to touch, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let biscotti cool completely on rack. biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.