Cranberry Pistachio Pumpkin Spiced Biscotti

This cold weather makes me want to sit on my couch drinking coffee for an entire day.  Unfortunately, I usually have to go to work, which turns my ideal coffee and couch date into me rushing out of my house with my thermos and chugging my coffee in time to have my first meeting at work.  I'm not a fan of the pumpkin spiced coffee drinks, but I definitely enjoy pumpkin flavored desserts.  This was my first time trying a Biscotti recipe.  I found the main recipe on Pinterest and then adapted it by adding in cranberries, pistachios, and dunking it in white chocolate.  The best part of Biscotti cookies, is that they are already hard and therefore make for easy Christmas gifts.  They would do perfectly fine if shipped and they would taste as fresh as the day they were baked.  You can find the original recipe here at On Sugar Mountain blog .

INGREDIENTS: 
2 Cups Flour 
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Pumpking Pie Spice
1/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar 
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp. Vanilla 

Pumpkin Spice Topping:
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice  

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line one large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.  Set aside. 

2. In your mixer, combine pumpkin puree and both sugars until well blended.  Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Turn mixer down to low, and begin slowly adding flour mixture until dough comes together.  It should be very sticky.  

3.  Divide dough in half and shape each half into a log.  I did this as if I was making a meatloaf.  It wasn't perfect, but I didn't need it to be.  

4. Beat the last egg and brush the dough generously. Mix together the 1/4 Cup sugar and 1 tsp.  pumpkin pie spice and sprinkle heavily on top of the egg wash.  

5.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Slice into separate cookies, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  Let cool and then if desired dip into melted white chocolate.  

Check out this fun link up over at Three Mango Seeds!!!!