The Year of Living Audaciously

Former food blog, now travel blog - following my year as a Fulbright ETA in Indonesia

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

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Pumpkin Spice Biscotti (1)So… I quit my job. And it’s been GREAT! I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. I started working at Nordstrom exactly a year ago – and I loved it. The job pays well and it was a fun distraction from the stress of school. But when I started back up again this school year, I started to lose my mind. I was stretched so thin with 19.5 credits of classes, writing my thesis, working as a Teaching Assistant and working at Nordstrom. And then trying to enjoy my senior year and hang out with friends. And then I missed a whole week of class while I was in New York at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting (all my pictures are posted here! So many famous people!) I was so stressed all the time, barely slept and was sacrificing valuable job-searching time as well.

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

Two weeks ago I finally decided to call it quits. I was sad to leave my co-workers, worried about no longer having a paycheck (still am!), and bummed that I was losing my discount 😉 but after last weekend of freedom and looking forward to many more – I am SO glad I quit. I’ve caught up on schoolwork, worked on my thesis, am blogging, went to the grocery store… I mean, I’m finally doing life stuff! It feels so good.

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti - perfect for Fall!

So in the spirit of celebrating… I baked biscotti! I had a little leftover pumpkin after making these Pumpkin Millet Muffins last week and for some reason, pumpkin biscotti just wouldn’t leave my mind! So – I set to work last night and made these Pumpkin Spice Biscotti. Oh my goodness, they are absolutely amazing. I used some of the [amazon text=Pumpkin Spice Oil&asin=http://www.amazon.com/Lorann-Oils-Pumpkin-Emulsion-4oz/dp/B00BR25W9E] that I got from LorAnn and that you can get on Amazon (see this post about Earl Grey Tea Shortbread for another use for LorAnn Oils!) and gosh, they turned out good! I dipped them in white chocolate (that I had brought back from Madagascar!) and now have a delicious plate of treats!

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti
Recipe Type: Cookie, Dessert
Author: Mackenzie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice emulsion (optional but highly recommended!)
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • white chocolate for dipping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the pumpkin, butter, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin spice emulsion. Beat until combined.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flours, sugars, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. Divide dough in two and on a floured surface, roll each half into a 9x3inch (roughly) log. Place both logs on a cookie sheet fitted with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
  4. Let cool for 15 minutes and drop oven temperature to 300 degrees. When logs are cool, use a serrated knife to cut them into one inch strips. Turn pieces on their side and return to baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until dry and crisp. Remove from sheet and let cool on a wire rack.
  5. Once cool, melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Dip biscotti in melted chocolate and return to wire rack to harden.

 

Pumpkin Gingerbread with Pumpkin Spice Glaze

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Pumpkin Gingerbread with Pumpkin Spice

Guess who is headed to New York today??? EEEEK!

I’m volunteering at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting – and absolutely cannot wait! (See this post that I wrote a few weeks ago for all the details!) I can’t wait to see who I may get to meet, to connect with other inspiring young adults, and hang out with Obama and the Clintons 😉 Plus, I’m never going to complain about taking a week off of school and work! Although that did make this last week quite horrendous… And I don’t even want to think about what will happen when I get back. But for now, I’m jumping on the plane and jetting off to NYC!

Before I leave though, I have to share with you this amazing pumpkin bread recipe. I’m not sure how I had time to make it but Thursday afternoon arrived, I finished my classes for the week (and for the next ten days really!), and I decided I just really, really needed a baking break 🙂 I also had yet to bake with pumpkin this year – so I was ready to officially usher in fall.

Pumpkin Gingerbread with Pumpkin Spice Glaze

This recipe is from my great-grandmother although I added my own spin with the pumpkin spice glaze. My grandma gave me my great-grandmother’s recipe card several years ago and I have been making this bread each fall since!

When Libby came home, she walked in the door and said “What have you been making? Please tell me it’s pumpkin bread!” She said each year, her mom would surprise her and her siblings with pumpkin bread one crisp fall day and that always signaled that fall was here! Well Libby, here you go!

Pumpkin Gingerbread with Pumpkin Spice Glaze
Recipe Type: Bread, Fall, Breakfast, Dessert
Author: Mackenzie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 loaf
Recip from my Great Grandma Mildred
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup (or more if necessary) powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • 2 drops pumpkin spice extract (or add some of the spices above!)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, oil and eggs until light in color, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin.
  3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and spices. Alternately add the dry ingredients and water into the pumpkin mixture, maxing in between additions. Do not overbeat.
  4. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for ten minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk and pumpkin spice extract. Drizzle over the bread and allow to set.

 

A Look Back

Sweet Potato Kale and Black Bean Hash - an EASY, HEALTHY, and delicious meal!
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State website and the views and opinions expressed here are entirely my own, and do not represent the U.S. Department of State or the Fulbright Program.