Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

Every holiday, I try to make one new recipe. This year, I became fixated with the idea of making biscotti. I’m not sure why, since I almost never eat biscotti. But I was rifling through my Southern Living Ultimate Christmas Book and found this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Biscotti.

Biscotti is incredibly easy to make and because it has a hard texture, it’s perfect for packaging up as gifts to send to friends and family far away. And? One recipe makes a whole bunch.

This biscotti recipe is not over-the-top with pumpkin flavor. I would consider adding a bit more canned pumpkin to this recipe for a bigger hit. I found it to be more gingery flavored from the pumpkin pie spice than to be actual pumpkin-tasting. But still, a good choice for a holiday brunch or sweet box.

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

(recipe courtesy Southern Living Ultimate Christmas Book)

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (do not use pumpkin pie filling)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (or use egg substitute or 4 egg whites)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped (I didn’t have macadamias, so I used walnuts)

Directions

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well.

Combine pumpkin, eggs and vanilla extract, stirring well with a wire whisk. Slowly add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Mixture will be very crumbly; it will gradually become moist after stirring.)

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add macadamia nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until nuts are browned. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Knead or gently stir cooled nuts into dough.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface, and divide into 4 portions. Lightly flour hands, and shape each portion into a 1 x 15-inch slightly flattened log. Place logs 3 inches apart on lightly greased large cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 23 minutes; cool logs 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Cut each log crosswise into 12-inch slices, using a serrated knife. Place slices on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

Tagged as: biscotti, holiday baking