Pumpkin Biscotti
(courtesy of Meg Whittemore, co-owner, L’il Meg’s Pumpkin Patch in Beckwourth, Calif. Makes 32 biscotti)
4 tablespoons softened, salted butter
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
½ cup pumpkin purée
Melted white chocolate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In medium bowl, mix butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking powder, and salt until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg and pumpkin purée. Turn to low speed, add flour, and mix until smooth. Dough will be sticky.
Using flour-coated hands and surface, gather dough from bowl and divide into 2 parts. Form each into a log. Place each log on baking sheet and pat into rectangle of about 8 by 4 inches. Bake 25 minutes. Remove and let set for 5 minutes.
Turn oven temperature down to 325 degrees F. Using serrated knife, cut logs into ½-inch slices. Slightly separate all slices on sheet pan, then return to oven. Bake additional 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool completely on cooling rack; do not cover. They will be slightly soft while hot but will become crunchy when cooled.
Once cooled, drizzle melted white chocolate over tops of biscotti in zigzag design. After chocolate has cooled and hardened, store in airtight container at room temperature for several days. Otherwise, wrap tightly and store in freezer for much longer. Enjoy biscotti by dipping into your favorite beverage: coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, etc.
