This is my favorite time of year. I love when the last leaves fall from the trees leaving their limbs completely bare, when the wind picks up and gives those first warning signs of winter, and obviously, I am all about Thanksgiving and the insanely quick approach of Christmas right after it.
These Pumpkin and Cranberry Biscotti are the perfect cookies for this time of year. The combination of flavors marries Thanksgiving and Christmas–fall and winter–together. These are crispy with a big snap and are perfect for dipping into a mug of coffee, tea, or even cocoa. I’m all about a dunkable cookie–there is a reason why cookies and milk has become such a popular pairing! There’s something more comforting about pairing a cookie with a warm drink–it fills the soul with warmth, not just the body.
Let me tell you something amazing about these Pumpkin and Cranberry Biscotti: there is no butter or oil anywhere in these! Sure, there’s still plenty of sugar, but the fats are solely provided by the pumpkin puree which is mixed with the sugar to create the base of these biscotti.
Once everything is carefully mixed together, split the dough in half with a rubber spatula and shape into equal–or relatively equal–logs. There is a good chance that you’ll have to use your hands to do this, so be warned that this dough is sticky and you might need to coat your fingers in a bit of flour to shape. Once that’s done, bake for about 35 minutes and allow the logs to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into perfectly dippable bites and bake again to dry them out.
Dipping these in vanilla almond bark (or candy melts) give a kick of sweetness to these cookies that really only comes from the dried cranberries otherwise. Also, if you’re like me and sometimes get distracted while baking, or just have moments of complete foolishness and realize you forgot to add the pumpkin pie spice into your dough before baking, you can always stir the 1/2 tsp in to the melted coating as a cheat to help get that flavor into these biscotti!
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biscotti
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- 118 grams pumpkin puree (a little more than 1/2 cup)
- 177 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 295 grams flour (2 cups + 1.5 Tbsp)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped and toasted
- 1/2 cup pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
- 1 cup dried cranberries/craisins
- 12 oz vanilla almond bark/candy melts
Ingredients
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- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet, or two small baking sheets, with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the pumpkin puree and granulated sugar. Mix on high until fully combined and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Mix to combine between each. Then add the vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- In the meantime, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Stir in the toasted pecans, pepitas, and dried cranberries to the bowl of the stand mixer. Add the dry ingredients 1/2 at a time. Be careful not to overmix.
- Onto your prepared baking sheet(s), shape your dough into two equal sized logs (about 12in x 2.5in) and bake 35-40 minutes. Remove the baking sheet(s) from the oven and allow to the logs to cool on the pan for 10 minutes.
- Reduce your oven to 300°F. Transfer your logs to a cutting board and, with a serrated knife, slice on a diagonal. Each cookie should be about 1/2 in thick.
- Line up your sliced biscotti on the parchment lined baking sheet and put them back in the oven about 15-20 minutes. Flip and then bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool.
- Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the vanilla almond bark (or candy melts). Dip the bottom of the biscotti into the coating and allow to dry on a wire rack.