(Chocolate Chip Loaded) Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

It's fall in New England! Although it is August and an Indian Summer looms right around the corner I am taking pleasure, extreme pleasure, in the fact that I can have all the windows open, wear jeans and long sleeves! The dry summer has led some of the trees to start turning prematurely... I can hear them rustling beyond. Suddenly I have this great craving, this great urge to have all things pumpkin. Rumor has it that Starbucks will introduce its first Pumpkin Spiced Latte of the season in just over a week... I swoon at the thought of this ... while visions of pumpkin bread dance through my head!

And then, as my youngest was eating his breakfast, I started to rifle through the pantry. I was pulling various ingredients and putting them on the counter... I had pumpkin puree and brown sugar and flour and chocolate chips and vanilla and baking powder... and then I sat down to my children's laptop and Googled "pumpkin biscotti." I scoured through recipes and came up with something that was partially my own and partially several others'...

I've had a few pieces already. I can attest to you that this stuff is good. Damned good. I'll to hit the treadmill a little harder today!

Ingredients:

3 Cups flour
1 1/2 Cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 (ok 3/4!) Cup white chocolate chips
1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 Cup of pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a mixing bowl beat together eggs, sugar and butter.
Beat in vanilla and pumpkin.
Add baking powder and flour. Mix well.
Fold in chocolate chips.


Grease and flour baking sheet. Or use a Silpat.

Drop dough by spoonfuls on to cookie sheet to create 3 equally sized logs, about 3 to 4 inches wide.
Bake for 30 minutes
Reduce heat to 300 degrees.
Bake for 30 minutes.


Remove from oven and very carefully cut the dough into slices, about 3/4 inch wide.
Place cookies on baking sheet. (I took out a clean one.)
Bake 10 minutes.

Cool a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Nothing less than Aaaaahmazing! Light and yet decadent... this recipe is Giada's (de Laurentis). I opted not to dip the cookies in melted chocolate as I thought they really didn't need anything else!

These would be perfect in any cookie jar... would make a lovely hostess gift or a wonderful accoutrement to any holiday dessert buffet table.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped ( I made one batch nut-free and used almonds in the other in lieu of the pistachios)
  
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
• 12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped (I used a good quality white chocolate chip)
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.

Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.