Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Biscotti

You know those people who love fall? Who put up autumn wreaths on September 1, buy orange mums and pumpkins for their porches even though it’s still 80 degrees outside, and cannot wait until it turns colder so they can put on an infinity scarf and drink hot apple cider? Hi there. I’m one of those people.

I enjoy all seasons, but fall and winter are my favorites. I welcome the cooler temperatures, the colorful leaves, the holidays, and the opportunity to beg my husband to make his absolutely delicious beef stew whenever the temperature drops below 60 degrees. I also welcome the chance to bake with fall flavors, like pumpkin, maple, and various warming spices – though truth be told I bake with those year-round anyway. These pumpkin chocolate chip biscotti are my offering to Mother Nature in the hope she ushers in some cooler temps quickly because I’m more than ready to put on that infinity scarf.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, and sugar; beat on low speed until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix again to fully combine, then stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon dough onto the prepared baking sheet and, using a spatula, form it into a log of even thickness. Take care not to make your log too wide to start – this batter spreads a fair amount when baking, so a slimmer log is preferable (or so I found out the hard way).

Bake for 50 minutes; remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Transfer the log to a cutting board and slice into wedges about 1/2 inch thick; you may need a second baking sheet lined with parchment to accommodate all of the wedges.

Return wedges to the oven and bake for 25 minutes; flip each wedge over and bake another 25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack; store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Biscotti are quite dry, so they’ll last a while. Makes about 20 pieces, depending on the length of your log.