Pumpkin Biscotti ♥ You can run, but you can't hide (from cookies! : )

Happy November 1st!

Last night was Halloween.  We spent the night trick or treating with great friends around their neighborhood and then went out to dinner afterwards.  Turns out everyone loves a "hot dog" and we came home with boat loads of candy!

The weather was gorgeous - crisp and cold with a smell of burning wood in the air.  It reminded me of one of those perfect Halloween night's when I was a kid.  That happy smile lasted all night ♥

The colors have been absolutely gorgeous lately.  My yard is a painting of reds and oranges.  It's a shame the leaves have to fall so quickly.  I wish they would stay longer.  I'm sure my hubby wishes that too, since he's the one in charge of the raking. LOL

The mornings have been freezing.  Have you ever noticed how much better your coffee (or tea) tastes on a cold morning? That first sip is magical.  You can feel it all the way down to your toes. For me, it's heavenly.  Especially with it being so dark now, it's harder and hard to get out of a warm bed.  I just want to stay in my pj's and watch I Love Lucy all day. 

About two weeks ago I was in the mood for something pumpkin so John and I made these pumpkin biscotti cookies together.  He's been helping me a lot in the kitchen lately.  And even though things take extra long and the mess is.....very big.... I really hope he's leaning something that will stay with him, because let's face it - there's nothing like a cute guy who can cook  ♥  Am I wrong?


Anyway, they came out really yummy..... here's the recipe:


2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch of ginger

pinch of cloves

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

 

Sift together flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and spices into a large bowl.

 

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla.  Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture.  Give it a rough stir to generally incorporate  the ingredients.  The dough will be crumbly. 

 

Flour your hands and a clean kitchen surface and lightly knead the dough.  Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it parchment paper.  Form the dough into a large log, roughly about 15-20 inches by 6-7 inches. The loaves should be relatively flat, only about 1/2 inch high.  Bake for 22-30 minutes, until the center is firm to the touch. 

 

**Feel free to form two smaller logs instead, just cut the baking time to 18-24 minutes.  That's what I did **

 

Let biscotti cool for 15 minutes and then using a serrated knife to cut into 1 inch wide pieces.  Turn the oven to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.  Cool completely. 

 

If you like your biscotti more crunchy vs. chewy, let them sit uncovered overnight in a dry space. 

 

 

We decided after they were done to add a little chocolate, so I melted some chocolate chips in the microwave and we got dippin'.....

 

 

 

 

They were delicious with or without the chocolate.  Perfect with coffee on a cold fall day. 

 

 

 

 

I want to make up another batch of these for a party that I am going to next week. 

 

The eat fest has officially begun and will not end until January 1st.  You can try, but you can't hide from it!

 

 

 

 

The best thing to do is take advantage of the nice days and go for long walks, breath in the fresh air, and enjoy the season before it gets too cold to go out.  Try to burn off all those Kit Kats, peanut butter cups, and in my case - pumpkin biscottis  : )

 

 

 

 

 

It's a losing battle, but good luck anyway! ♥♥♥

 

 

 

 

How I Survived Hurricane Irene Part II

I woke up early Sunday morning happy to see that we hadn't blown away during the night. In fact, as usual things were not as bad as they seemed to be the night before and the storm has been downgraded (in my area anyway) to nothing more than a tropical storm.  All our trees were still in tact and no water was dripping where it shouldn't be.  Whew!

It was, however, still raining heavily with strong winds blowing against the house.  The kitchen smelled like the morning after a holiday because of the onion soup that had been bubbling on the stove the day before.  I was still in a cozy/domestic kind of mood, so I did the next best thing to making soup.  I made cookies. 

Once you have homemade biscotti you will never go back to store bought. Here's how to make them. 

You will need:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups sugar (divided)
3 eggs
1 tsp anise
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tsp milk

Cream butter and 1 cup of sugar.  Add eggs, one at at time.

Stir in anise.  Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.

Stir in almonds.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Spray with cooking spray.

Divide dough in half.  Spread into two rectangles, approximately 10 x 4 ".  (note: the dough will be sticky.  Start with your hands, and then spread/shape with a spatula.)

Brush with milk and sprinkle with remaining sugar. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees.  Lift rectangles, with paper or foil, onto a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. 

Once cooled remove from paper and transfer to a cutting board.  Cut diagonally into slices measuring around 1 inch thick.  *Tip: use a serrated knife*

Place slices with cut side down onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for ten minutes.  Turn cookies over and bake for ten more minutes. 

Remove from oven and let cool on the stove top.  I hear Hubbie. Better make morning coffee...

I made these cookies in the wee hours of the morning.  While the rest of the East coast was watching hurricane coverage, I was watching Uncle Buck on cable and making biscottis.  When Hubbie got up  I served him one with his coffee.  It just so happens he is my official taste tester and what better way to start a Sunday morning?  These are the perfect cookie.  YUM!

As I type this blog post (Sunday night) I can still hear the rain, but the winds have died down.  Good news is things are looking up for tomorrow.  My plants will be able to see the sunlight again and I can put my flag back out in the yard.  We survived yet another storm.  Personally, I much prefer a good old fashioned November blizzard to a hurricane.  They are much prettier, but regardless, I'm glad it's over. 

And that's how I survived Hurricane Irene ~

Good News: After next weekend it will officially be September.  The other day I spotted this in my front yard.  It's here!

I've got my quilts and blankets all ready for evening snuggling.

Here's a peek into my candle cabinet.  Can you spot the pumpkins?  Soon my kitchen will be filled with the aroma of Pumpkin Spice....so nice!

I hope, wherever you are, you all survived the storm.  Did you make soup? Or cookies?  Did you happen to see Uncle Buck on Sunday morning?  I hope you did. So funny! 

Have a wonderful week and I'll be back soon.  We are having friends over for a Labor Day party this weekend.  Let's hope for better weather : ) 

Bye!