Nutty, spicy and delicious, these twice baked cookies are sure to please. This recipe for spiced pumpkin biscotti is a twist on the classic Italian biscuits. They make fabulous Christmas gifts, as you can make them well in advance. But they're also good to dunk into your coffee at any time.
Steam the chopped pumpkin for 15 minutes until tender.
80 g pumpkin flesh
Leave to drain in a colander or sieve for half an hour to ensure it isn't too wet. Then mash with a fork.
Meanwhile, toast the nuts in the oven at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 10 minutes until just starting to colour. Roughly chop.
100 g nuts
Melt the butter in a pan. Add the nuts and fry them for 2-3 minutes.
15 g salted butter
Sieve the flours into a bowl with the baking powder and mixed spice. Whisk in the sugar.
225 g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp mixed spice, 175 g soft brown sugar
Make a well in the centre and add the egg, mashed pumpkin and nuts.
1 large egg
Mix it all together, starting in the middle and working outwards. You may need to add an extra tbsp of flour if the mixture is wet.
Scrape the mixture out onto a lightly dusted work surface. Divide into two and with lightly floured hands, shape each piece into the shape of a log - about 5 cm (2 inches) wide.
Place the logs well apart on a lined baking tray. Bake in the centre of the oven at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 20-25 minutes. The log should be firm, but not starting to colour.
Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
Use a bread knife to cut 1 cm (½ inch) slices across the log on a slight diagonal.
Place the slices on two lined trays and bake at 160℃ (140℃ fan, 320℉, Gas 3) for a further 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden and crisp.
Transfer the slices to a wire rack and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate, if using, in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water.
100 g dark chocolate
Dip the ends of the biscotti in the melted chocolate and place back on the wire rack to set.
Transfer to jars or gift bags and tie ribbons and tags around them.
Notes
You need to bake biscotti twice, but be careful not to over-bake them. For the first bake, cook them until the dough is firm but not browned. The second time bake until the biscotti are lightly golden and crisp. Over-baking can result in biscotti that are just too hard.They'll store in an airtight container for at least a fortnight.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.