It’s the start of the holiday season. All good and holiday memorable scents lingering in the air..Should we bake or order? Hmm, the dilema.Chocolate Dipped Pumpkin Walnut Biscotti with more WalnutsIngredients:
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups walnuts, divided, lightly toasted and chopped (omit if you have nut allergies)
1 bag (11.5 ounces) of chocolate chips
Preparation:
Position your oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form stiff peaks. With the mixer still on high, beat in about half the sugar until the egg whites are glossy. Transfer them to another bowl.
In the same bowl of the stand mixer, beat the egg yolks and the remaining half of the sugar on high speed until the eggs are pale and frothy and the sugar dissolves. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla to blend.
Gently fold in the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Then, gently, stir in the melted (and cooled) butter and walnuts.
Gradually stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the dough comes together into a sticky ball. Form into two logs about 3″ x 10″. If you wet your fingers a little, you’ll be able to smooth out the surface of the dough should you so wish to.
Bake for about 50 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown and feel firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes (this is the first baking part of the twice baked cookies).
Place the logs on a cutting board and cut into 1/2 inch slices with a long and sharp serrated knife. Do not use a sawing motion, but make decisive downward strokes to avoid crumbling of the biscotti.
Line the slices on the baking sheet cut side down and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until they are crisp and golden brown throughout. Allow to cool completely before dipping into chocolate.
To dip into chocolate: Have your melted chocolate in a bowl or just use the saucepan you melted the chocolate in. Dip one end into the chocolate and allow some to drip back into the pan. Place the coated biscotti on a cooling sheet placed over a baking sheet to catch the excess chocolate. If you want to add more nuts this is the time to drizzle some over the chocolate coated biscotti while the chocolate is still warm. Allow to set, about 2 hours. Enjoy!