Pumpkin Biscotti

A few weeks ago, I experienced my first opportunity to bake biscotti with Tuesday's with Dorie and I fell in love with the texture and flavor of that little biscuit. Ever since then I've been looking for a recipe that would incorporate flavors of the Autumn season and would yield a richer type of biscotti. When I found this recipe for Pumpkin Biscotti, I immediately bookmarked it to fix when I had some extra time. (o.k., I know, as a Mom we don't have "extra" time with all the laundry, cooking, sports, homework...blah, blah, blah, what I meant was any time that I could carve out for myself....oh-let's not go there either. You know what I'm saying.) I loved, loved, loved this biscotti! The pumpkin flavor is tremendous and was even heartier after sitting for a day. The recipe called for chopped pecans, but instead, I stuck to my favorite addition to pumpkin...chocolate! I seriously cannot get beyond the delectable combination of those two ingredients. I'm sooo glad I added the mini chips, they were a delicious addition and it turned out to be a great way to entice my kids to try a different looking cookie. They loved 'em! On Sunday, I took these over to my friend Sarah's to share with her and she seconded our opinion that these were a hit. You won't regret trying this variation of my new type of cookie...biscotti!

Pumpkin Biscotti

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup solid-pack canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups pecans, coarsely chopped and toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease (I covered with parchment paper) 2 large baking sheets. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spice. In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Knead or gently stir the toasted pecans into the dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equal portions. Lightly flour your hands. Shape each portion into a slightly flattened log about 3-inches by 12-inches. Place logs 3-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes. Do Not Shut Off Oven! Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Transfer each log to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Line the slices up, standing, on the baking sheets and bake 12-15 minutes, until dry. Cook on wire rack.

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