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!

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

My friend Colleen used to make this last year in NYC. It will always remind me of our little NYC apartments, days at Dolphin park and Mary. It's just autumn in loaf-form for me. Owen and I made a batch yesterday, and then today I made another batch. It's just that good. If you live above 6,500 ft. you'll want to make the changes that are in orange. Being in high altitude does something funny to baking things.

What you need:

1 can pumpkin (not pie filling, actual pumpkin), 15 oz.
1/2 cup water / 1/2 cup water + 1-2 Tbs. (depending on your altitude. I used 2 Tbs and I'm at 8,000)
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cup flour / 2 1/2 cup flour + 1 Tbs.
2 1/4 cup sugar (don't gasp)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda / just a smidge less than 1 1/2 tsp baking soda. I just let the clumps be scraped off when I measured it out of my cardboard container.
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp each: cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg
about a 1/2 -3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. / Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

First, mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then, beat the pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in your mixer till combined (medium speed for about 2 minutes).
Gradually work in the dry ingredients, mixing just enough so you won't have a huge flour pouf all over you when you add more. Stir in your chocolate chips.

Grease and flour your bread pans. I used 3 smaller pans yesterday and 2 larger pans today. If you use 3 smaller pans, bake for around 50 minutes (1 hour) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (it will have chocolate chips on it). If you choose to do 2 larger pans, bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (same or about 5- 10 minutes more). Let them sit in the pans for 10 minutes before trying to take them out (trust me on this one, I learned the hard way).

I actually forgot to stir in the chocolate chips today when I made my 2 larger loafs, so I had to sprinkle them on top. Then I got a little crazy and just slathered the whole top of one with chocolate. I don't know how this will taste yet, but I'm hoping for the best.


This is what it should look like. Mmmm-mm. Yummy goodness.
I'm so proud of myself for remembering to take pictures! What do you think?