Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Yum, yum, yum. Have this with a mug of tea or hot coffee to dip in. Wow. I found a couple of pumpkin biscotti recipes, changed a few things and made it up for high altitude. I'm writing it out for regular altitude, but, as always, high-altitude changes are in orange.

What you need
5 cups flour + 1/3-1/2 cup flour
1 Tbs. baking powder a bit less than 1 Tbs. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
dash of cloves
1 1/4 sugar, plus 2 Tbs. sugar
1 cup butter, softened
15 oz. can pumpkin
2 Tbs. water + 2 Tbs. water
1 cup chocolate chips (any kind, I used the 60% cocoa)
1/2 cup nuts (I used pecans)
1/2 cup cream cheese frosting, or vanilla glaze (follows biscotti recipe)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (400 degrees). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (I just sprayed mine with cooking spray and they came out fine with no sticking).

Combine flour, powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in medium bowl. Mix well.

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl at medium speed till fluffy. Add the pumpkin and water; beat till blended. Add in the flour mixture a bit at a time. If you have a regular stand mixer, your mixture is going to reach the top. Stay right with your mixer and just keep scraping it down. Stir in chocolate chip and nuts. This is such stiff, stiff stuff! I actually broke my favorite mixing spoon (sniff, sniff) while stirring this up. So, be warned!

Shape dough into 2 logs, each about 14 inches long and 4-5 inches wide. Bake 40 minutes (it will be more like 1 hour, but check on them periodically after the 40 minute mark) or until firm to touch. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes. Cut into 1 inch slices, and place back on baking sheet cut side up. Bake 10-20 minutes. (Again, this will take longer, just keep checking till they are at the stage of toastiness that you like. Did I just say toastiness?) Cool on wire racks.

If you use frosting from a can, microwave it for a bit to make it drizzalbe. I'm just full of made up words today! If you want to make your own, or don't have frosting in a can, the following recipe is great. It's from the Better Crocker cook book.

Vanilla Glaze
What you need
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-4 Tbs. hot water

Melt butter in a sauce pan.

Stir in sugar and vanilla. It will be clumpy, just stir it in. Now, stir in hot water, 1 Tbs. at a time, until smooth and and consistency of thick syrup. Use a spoon and drizzle over the biscotti after they are cool.

This is how I like to enjoy my biscotti!

Mom's Nut Rocca (a.k.a. Toffee)

If you live at sea level, or just not clear up on a mountain, this stuff is great. And relatively easy. If you do live up on a mountain, can you tell me how to get it to the right temperature?! I made it, it tastes good, but it has a different color and it's much chewier than my mom's. So I'm blaming it on the altitude. I pretty much blame everything on the altitude. My dry skin, my flat hair, headaches...but I digress!

Ok. You need a candy thermometer, but those are inexpensive at any market. However, my mom says that the metal ones are the best because they don't break. I couldn't find one at our store, but maybe if check a kitchen store, you might have some luck. Everything else, I'll bet you have in your pantry, so try it! It's fun to make candy and it's impressive. Have fun!

Here's the recipe, in my mom's own words (parenthetical commentary provided by yours truly).

What you need
2 cups butter (real butter)
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 pkg. milk chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1 cup finely chopped, toasted nuts (any kind will do, I'm partial to pecans. Must be my Southern heritage.)

1. Line a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan with heavy duty foil, extending over edges.

2. In a 4-5 quart sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in sugar, syrup and water. Cook over medium-high heat to boiling, stirring till sugar is dissolved. Avoid splashing up on the sides of your pan.

3. Clip you candy thermometer to the pan. Be sure bulb or bottom of thermometer is well covered and not touching bottom of pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently till thermometer registers 290 degrees, soft crack stage. This should take about 15 minutes. (Now, if you use a 4 qt. pan, like I did, your mixture is going to reach the tip top of the pan, and your heart is going to be in your throat imagining all that sticky corn syrup spilling out onto your stove. So just stir like crazy, gently though, and it will all be good. If you have a gas range, you may want to start out slower than med. heat.) The mixture will turn golden brown right at the last. (That's one way to know it's done. If it's still butter yellow, it's not done and will turn out the color of wax if taken off at this point. Trust me, I know.)

4. Remove thermometer. Pour into prepared pan; spread evenly. Cool 5 minutes, or until top is just set. Sprinkle on your chocolate chips and let set 2 minutes. Spread with a spatula till all toffee is coated with chololate. Top with nuts, press into chocolate. Cool several hours or till set. If necessary, place in fridge. (Mom sets it outside, covered and safe from the squirrels. My parents live in the woods. I don't know if a towel would keep it safe from a bear....hmmm.)

5. Holding foil, lift candy out of the pan. Break into pieces. To store, layer candy between sheets of waxed paper.

Makes about 2 1/2 pounds.

Doesn't that sound wonderful? Here's the way it came out for me. Remember, though, I'm at 8,000+ ft. in altitude and that just does funny things to baked goods.

Gingerbread House Icing

I found this icing on a website, wrote it down, and now can't remember if is was Recipezaar.com or Allrecipes.com. Either one, this is the best icing hands down! It's super easy, way cheaper than buying cans and cans of icing, tastes great, and holds like glue when it's dry.

Make this! Make the houses! Have fun!

What you need

3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar OR 1 tsp. baking powder
4 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Whip the egg whites and tartar or baking powder together in your mixer on medium high till mixed fairly well. Start adding your sugar a bit at a time. Once it's all in there, mix on high 4-5 minutes. It'll be really whipped looking and beautiful white.

Makes enough for 1 house and all the decorations on it. I made two batches for these guys.