I’ve been a bad blogger lately and largely because I’ve been focusing on work. I know that sounds really fake and ridiculous, but it’s kind of true. School started and I’m back in the classroom and on trips across DC and I come home tired and too lazy to write. I’m sorry friends! However, it’s October and it’s pumpkin season. I couldn’t stay silent any longer because there’s so much yummy stuff to do with pumpkin. For example, this recipe for pumpkin biscotti.
So, a few weeks ago I made pumpkin nutella muffins (a recipe I’ll post eventually!) and I had a little bit of pumpkin leftover in the can. I never know what to do with remaining puree. It’s so little! Throw it away? Keep in my fridge hoping I’ll use it, then eventually throw it away? But then, I found this recipe from King Arthur Flour that needed only half a cup of pumpkin. I scraped the can that had been languishing in my fridge and came up with exactly half a cup. Whew! No need for waste and I was going to get some yummy biscotti.
I had only made biscotti twice before and so when these came out of the oven the second time, I had some fear. Did I really know what biscotti should be like? Were they too crunchy? Can biscotti be too crunchy?! But they tasted good so I wasn’t too concerned.
Then the next morning I had some with my coffee and oh-em-gee friends these pumpkin biscotti were SO. MUCH. BETTER. They soak up the coffee and soften slightly so you can easily bite into them while still holding their shape. They don’t get squishy, fall apart, and plop into your coffee. And somehow, the coffee enhanced the pumpkin and cinnamon flavors. These became my before-work treat for about a week. Who doesn’t want a reason to have a cookie for breakfast? This recipe is a win.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour.
Messy level: The recipe is really easy to assemble with minimal dishes. What also keeps this recipe neat is that all the biscotti can be baked on one tray at the same time. Can’t often say that for a cookie recipe, so it’s a reason to like making biscotti.
- 4 tablespoons/ 56 grams butter, softened
- ⅔ cup/ 130 grams sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup/ 113 grams pumpkin puree
- 2 cups/ 240 grams all-purpose flour
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the egg and pumpkin puree. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour. Mix until just combined.
- In the bowl, gather the dough into a loose ball. Divide the dough in half and place onto the baking sheet. Give yourself space, the dough is sticky and you'll be reshaping it on the baking sheet.
- Shape each half of the dough into a long flat rectangular log, about 10"x2.5".
- Bake the logs on the baking sheet for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F/160°C.
- After 5 minutes, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into ¾" pieces. Do your best to cut straight up and down so the biscotti will stand upright during the second bake.
- Arrange the biscotti on the baking sheet so they are standing on their bottom edge and there is a little space between each cookie.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden.
- Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the biscotti cool completely inside the oven.
- Serve plain, with coffee, or even with nutella.
