Easy Pumpkin Biscotti Recipe

5 from 5 vote

Easy Pumpkin Biscotti Recipe

Easy Pumpkin Spice Biscotti are a fall twist on classic biscotti! Take warm fall flavors, luscious pumpkin puree’ and add it all to Italian biscotti. These lovely biscotti are just what you need to dip into a hot cup of coffee or cappuccino. Make the dough without a mixer!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time48

Keyword: fall dessert

Servings:

Calories: 113kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

wire rack

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg and ginger
1 cup light brown sugar packed
4 Tablespoons margarine or butter melted and cooled down
2 large eggs
2/3 cup pumpkin purée
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup or water or milk or unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray baking sheet (about 18" x 13") with baking spray or line with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the melted butter and light brown sugar.
Add in the eggs one at a time. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until thick and pale.
Beat in the pumpkin puree.
Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl a little bit at a time.
Let the dough rest a couple of minutes in the mixer bowl.
Scrape out the dough with a rubber spatula onto a clean counter. Since there is pumpkin puree, the dough may be a little sticky.
Work the dough on a clean counter with a little bit of flour until it is firm enough to transfer to the prepped cookie sheet. lined cookie sheet (I used a sheet for each log) and divide the dough in half.
When you can get the dough into a ball, transfer to a lined cookie sheet (I used a sheet for each log).
Spray hands with baking or cooking spray. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, then shape each into 2 flattened logs, about 3 inches wide and 12 inches long.
If you are using one baking tray, place logs a few inches apart on the baking sheet so they won’t stick together as they bake. If you have two sheets, place one log on each lined baking sheet.
Use a sharp knife to score the logs. Be sure to not cut all the way through (this step is optional, but nonna always scores her biscotti logs).
Bake until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed, about 20-25 minutes.
Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let logs cool until you can touch to cut with a knife (should take 15 minutes...sometimes I only wait 10 minutes).
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
Transfer the first loaf carefully to a cutting board. When the logs have cooled down, begin slicing the first log by pressing a very sharp knife or serrated knife into the dough (if using a serrated knife, cut with a with a sawing motion).
Keep in mind that when you slice on a bigger angle, you will get much longer cookies. If you slice short angles, you’ll get small biscotti.
Place the cookies back on the baking sheet, cut sides up.
Place the second log on the cutting board and repeat process cutting out the cookie pieces and placing on the baking sheet.
Bake 7 minutes, flip biscotti, and bake 7 minutes more.
Set the sheet on a rack to cool completely.
While the biscotti cool down, prepare the icing (if you’re using).
To make the icing:
The icing is optional. Add powdered sugar in a bowl and stir in maple syrup (or milk, use unsweetened almond or coconut milk if you're dairy-free) until the desired consistency is reached.
To test the consistency, let the glaze pour off the spoon. The glaze should fall into a ribbon and hold the shape for a few seconds before melting back into the glaze.
If the glaze is too thick, add a drop of water and test again. If the glaze is too runny, add a little more powdered sugar.
To decorate cookies:
Transfer the icing into a squeeze bottle, or a piping bag with small round tip, or a plastic zipped bag and cut a corner off. Decorate the cookies and let the icing set.

Notes

Some top tips from nonna (AKA my mom...the biscotti queen).

Nonna says if you want to stack and package the glazed cookies, make sure to let the icing set overnight.
Nonna says the entire dough could be made by hand on a clean counter or work surface.
Nonna does want you to know the dough is a little sticky. It is a little tricky to form into the logs, so best to spray your hands with baking spray or lightly flour your hands to work with the dough.
Nonna does like to score the dough before the first bake. Just be careful not to slice it all the way through (sometimes I forget to score the dough, so if you do or don't score it, either way, biscotti will turn out fine).

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